m 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


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V.^"  s'^^^m-^^^^^^^A-^.^#^t^»^■'^ 


ROBERT    BARNWELL    ROOSEVELT. 


FLORIDA 


GAME  WATER-BIRDS 

OF  THE 

ATLANTIC  COAST  AND  THE    LAKES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

WITH 

A   FULL   ACCOUNT   OF   THE   6P0RTING   ALONG   OUR   SEA- 
SHORES  AND    INLAND   WATERS,   AND  REMARKS   ON 
BREECH-LOADEEIS  AJiD  HAMMERLESS  GUNS. 


ROBERT   BARNWELL   ROOSEVELT, 

AUTHOR  OP    "  TBK  OAMB-FISH  OF  NORTH  AKEBICA,"    "  SUPERIOR  FIBHllfa,' 
"  FITS  ACBBS  TOO  MUCH,''   "  laus,"     "  POLYANTHUS,"  BTC.,  KTC. 


HiLustbated. 


NEW   YORK: 

ORANGE    JUDD    COMPANY, 

751   BROADWAY. 
1884. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1884,  by  the 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY, 

In  the  OfBce  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


-"^1 


PREFACE. 

In  preparing  this  work,  after  I  had  written  the 
account  of  Florida,  which,  as  a  sporting  country, 
had  never  been  fully  described,  and  was  to  occupy 
the  principal  part  of  my  attention,  and  when  I  came 
to  the  second  division,  that  relating  to  the  game- 
birds  of  our  waters  and  coasts  generally,  I  found  so 
much  in  a  book  on  a  kindred  subject,  which  I  had 
written  years  ago,  that  I  concluded  I  could  do  no 
better  than  quote  from  it  freely.  The  directions 
therein  given  are  as  correct  now  as  then,  the  in- 
formation as  well  founded,  and  I  hope  the  reader 
will  find  the  stories  of  sporting  excursions  as 
interesting. 

My  main  purpose  is  to  call  the  attention  of  my 
brother  sportsmen  to  that  paradise  of  the  devotee 
of  the  rod  and  gun,  the  Southern  Peninsula  of  our 
Atlantic  States.  Game  is  disappearing  from  our 
home  country;  woodcock  and  ruffed  grouse  have 
almost  been  exterminated;  ducks  are  less  plentiful; 
bay  snipe  now  make  many  of  their  flights  directly 
at  sea  without  passing  over  the  land;  and  if  we  are 
to  obtain  satisfactory  shooting,  we  must  go  some 
distance  for  it.  Many  persons  who  are  fond  of  out- 
door life  cannot  stand  exposure  to  cold  weather,  and 
still  more,  to  keep  up  their  interest,  must  have  the 
chance  of  making  a  larger  bag  than  they  can  count 
on  at  the  North.     Yachtsmen  are  in  the  habit  of 


B     4960 


*»  ^  »  r^  A  ^"^rr" 


6  PREFACE. 

laying  up  their  craft  daring  the  best  season  of  the 
year  for  the  enjoyment  of  sailing.  They  have 
looked  upon  the  South  either  as  an  uninteresting  or 
a  dangerous  country,  a  land  merely  of  alligators  or 
of  hurricanes.  They  will  be  as  surprised  as  pleased 
to  learn  that  there  is  no  better  sailing  ground,  and 
that  the  Southern  waters  in  winter  are  as  safe  as 
Northern  waters  in  summer ;  so  much  so  that  small 
vessels  and  open  boats  have  braved  their  terrors, 
while  their  sporting  advantages  are  not  to  be  sur- 
passed, if  they  are  to  be  equalled,  by  any  in  the 
world. 

While  not  abso'lutely  the  pioneer  in  this  explora- 
tion, I  happen  to  be  nearly  so,  for  no  completed 
work  or  continued  record  has  been  published  which 
covers  the  ground  described,  or  conveys  the  infor- 
mation contained  in  these  pages.  No  more  de- 
lightful excursion  can  be  conceived  than  that  to 
Florida  during  the  winter,  and  no  man  can  so 
thoroughly  enjoy  it  as  the  yachtsman.  Thousands 
of  tourists  have  been  going  there  for  years,  and 
their  number  is  augmenting  every  season.  But 
such  persons  merely  rummage  a  country;  they  do 
not  possess  it;  they  rush  along  sight-seeing  and 
curiosity-purchasing.  Let  the  sportsman  or  the 
invalid  go  to  remain  during  the  inclement  winter 
weather,  and  they  will  never  regret  the  excursion. 

The  Author. 


PART  I. 

FLORIDA. 


CONTENTS. 


■PART   I.— FLORIDA. 

PAGB 

Chaptbb  I.-— Florida.— The  Inland  Passage 9 

Chapter  II.— In  Florida....  59 

Chaptef.  III.— Currituck  Marshes.. 116 


PART    II.— THE    GAME    WATER-BIRDS. 

Chapter  I.— Game  of  Ancient  and  Modem  Days. — Its  Protection  and 
Importance.— The  proper  Shooting  Seasons.- The  Impolicy  of 
Using  Batteries  and  Pivot-Guns .   139 

Chapter  II.— Guns  and  Gunnery.— Breech-loaders  compared  with 
Muzzle-loaders.— All  the  Late  Improvements  in  Breech-loaders. — 
Hammerless  Guns 159 

Chapter  III.— Bay-snipe  Shooting.— The  Birds,  their  Habits,  Pecu- 
liarities, and  places  of  Kesort.— Stools  and  Whistles.— Dress  and 
Implements  appropriate  to  their  pursuit.— Their  Names  and 
Mode  of  Capture 185 

Chapter  IV.— The  New  Jersey  Coast.— Jersey  Girls  and  their 
pleasant  ways. — The  peculiarities  of  Bay-snipe  further  eluci- 
dated.— Mosquitoes  rampant.— Good  Shooting  and  "  Fancy " 
Sport. — Shipwrecks  and  Ghosts .  .219 

Chapter  V.— Bay-Birds.  -  Particular  Descriptions  and  Scientific 
Characteristics.— A  Complete  Account  of  each  Variety 261 

Chapter  VI. — Montauk  Point. — American  Golden  Plover  or  Frost- 
Bird.— A  True  Story  of  Three  Thousand  in  a  Flock.— Lester's 
Tavern.— Good  Eating,  Fine  Fishing,  and  Splendid  Shooting.— 
The  Nepeague  Beach 301 

Chapter  VII.— Hail  and  Eail-Shooting. — Seasons,  Localities,  and 
Incidents  of  Sport.— Use  of  Breech-loader  or  Muzzle-loader.— 
Equipment , 313 

Ceiapter  VIII.— Wild-Fowl  Shooting.— General  Directions,  from 
Boats,  Blinds,  or  Batteries.- Retrievers  from  Baltimore  and 
Newfoundland.— Western  Sport.— Equipment 328 

Chapter  IX.— Duck-Shooting  on  the  Inland  Lakes.— The  Club 
House.— Practical  Views  of  Practical  Men.— Moral  Tales.— A 
Day's  Fishing.— The  Closing  Scenes 344 

Chapter  X.— Suggestions  to  Sportsmen.— A  Definition  of  the  Term. 
—Crack  Shots.- The  Art  of  Shooting.— The  Art  of  not  Shooting.. 398 

Chapter  XL— Direct  ions  for  Building  a  Battery 415 


FLORIDA. 

CHAPTER    I. 
THE    INLAND    PASSAGE. 

Florida — so  named  by  its  discoverers  from  the 
abundance,  beauty  and  fragrance  of  its  flowers. 
The  Land  of  Flowers — what  a  beautiful  sentiment. 
Alas,  it  was  never  called  anything  of  the  sort. 
Land  happening  to  be  first  seen  by  the  brave  and 
sturdy  warrior  but  not  imaginative  linguist,  Juan 
Ponce  de  Leon,  on  Palm  Sunday,  his  discovery  was 
called,  with  due  and  Catholic  reverence,  after  the 
day  and  not  after  any  abundance  of  flowers,  which 
were  probably  not  abundant  on  the  sand  spit  where 
he  planted  his  intrusive  feet.  But  no  matter  about 
the  origin  of  the  term,  the  epithet  is  more  than 
justified,  and  the  Peninsular  State  is  not  only  glori- 
ous in  the  endless  beauty  and  variety  of  its  flowers 
— till  in  good  old  English  it  might  be  termed  one 
huge  nosegay — but  it  is  magnificent  in  the  grandeur 
and  originality  of  its  foliage.  The  jessamine  climbs 
above  the  deep  swamps  and  lights  up  their  darkness 
with  its  yellow  stars  ;  the  magnolia  towers  in  the 
open  upland  a  pyramid  of  vestal  splendor  ;  tbe  cab- 
bage palmetto  waves  its  huge  fan-shaped  leaves, 
seven  feet  long,  like  great  green  hands,  and  the 
moss  hangs  and  sways  and  covers  the  bare  limbs 
with  its  ragged  clothing. 

To  the  rough,  practical  Northern  mind,  Florida 


10  THE  IKLAND  Passage. 

is  a  land  of  dreams,  a  strange  country  full  of  sur- 
prises, an  intangible  sort  of  a  place,  where  at  first 
nothing  is  believed  to  be  real  and  where  finally  every- 
thing is  considered  to  be  possible.  When  the  visitor 
first  arrives  he  cannot  be  convinced  that  the  cows 
feed  under  water ;  before  he  leaves  he  is  willing  to 
concede  that  alligators  may  live  on  chestnuts.  The 
animals  and  birds  are  as  queer  and  unnatural  as  tlie 
herbage,  or  as  a  climate  which  furnishes  strawber- 
ries, green  peas,  shad,  and  roses  at  Christmas. 
There  is  the  Limpkin,  the  pursuit  of  which  reminds 
one  of  hunting  the  Snark.  You  are  in  continual 
terror  of  catching  the  Boojum.  It  is  a  bird  about 
the  size  of  a  fish-hawk,  but  it  roars  like  a  lion  and 
screeches  like  a  wild-cat,  although  it  occasionally 
whistles  like  a  canary.  It  has  a  bill  like  that  of 
a  curlew,  adapted  to  probing  in  the  sand,  and  yet  it 
sits  on  trees  as  though  it  were  a  woodpecker.  It  is 
conversational  and  talks  to  you  in  a  friendly  way 
during  daytime,  but  at  night  it  harrows  up  your 
soul  and  makes  your  blood  run  cold  with  the  fearful 
noises  it  utters.  If  you  hear  any  charming  note  or 
awful  sound,  any  pretty  song  or  terrifying  scream, 
and  ask  a  native  Floridian,  with  pleased  or  trem- 
bling tongue,  ''What  is  that?"  he  will  calmly  an- 
swer, "That?  that  is  a  Limpkin."  There  are  no 
dangerous  animals  in  Florida,  only  a  few  of  Eve's 
old  enemies,  and  the  sportsman  is  safer  in  the  woods 
at  night  under  the  moss-covered  trees  and  on  his 
moss-constructed  mattress  than  in  his  bed  in  the 
family  mansion  on  Fifth  avenue.     If  he  hears  any 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE.  11 

unearthly  noises,  any  soul-curdling  shrieks,  he  can 
turn  to  sleep  again  with  the  comfortable  assurance 
"that  it  is  only  a  Limpkin." 

To  the  sportsman  it  is  needless  to  say  that  Florida, 
when  properly  investigated,  is  a  Paradise.  Birds 
and  fish  and  game  are  only  too  plentiful,  till  it  has 
become  a  land  of  shameful  slaughter.  The  brute 
with  a  gun  slays  the  less  brutish  animal  for  the  mere 
pleasure  of  murder  when  he  cannot  get,  much  less 
use,  what  he  kills,  till  on  most  of  the  pleasure 
steamers  shooting  has  been  prohibited ;  while  the 
idiot  with  the  rod  fills  his  boat  with  splendid  fish 
that  rot  in  the  hot  sun  and  have  to  be  thrown  back, 
putrefying,  into  the  water  from  which  his  undisci- 
plined passion  hauled  them.  Sportsman  should  not 
come  to  this  land  of  promise  and  performance  unless 
they  can  control  their  instincts,  for  fear  that  they 
should  degenerate  into  mere  killers.  In  truth,  the 
excess  of  abundance  takes  away  the  keener  zest  of 
sport,  which  is  largely  due  to  the  difficulties  that 
surround  success.  But  for  the  ordinary  inhabitant 
of  the  rugged  North,  the  quaintness  of  this  border 
land  of  the  equator  has  an  immense  charm,  while  to 
the  invalid  the  pure,  dry,  warm  air  of  both  winter 
and  summer  brings  balm  and  health.  The  feeble 
and  sickly,  especially  the  consumptive,  should  seek 
Florida,  for  to  them  it  offers  the  fabled  springs  of 
perennial  youth,  which  Ponce  de  Leon  sought  more 
coarsely  in  vain.  To  the  seeker  after  amusement, 
to  the  man  and  woman  of  leisure,  who  wish  to  im- 
prove as  well  as  enjoy  themselves,  it  is  a  very  wonder- 


12  THE   INLAKD   PASSAGE. 

land  of  delight.  It  has  a  store  of  novelties  which 
are  absolutely  exhaustless,  and  tracts  of  interest- 
ing country  which,  while  perfectly  accessible,  have 
never  even  been  explored. 

To  enjoy  Florida,  however,  one  must  seek  it 
aright.  If  the  visitor  follows  the  beaten  track,  he 
will  see  the  beaten  things — well  beaten  by  many 
vulgar  footsteps.  If  he  takes  the  steamers  and 
lives  at  the  hotels,  he  will  make  quick  trips  and 
have  good  accommodations.  If  he  wants  originality 
he  must  pursue  original  methods.  There  are  many 
ways  of  reaching  this  floral  El  Dorado — the  ocean 
steamer  will  carry  you  to  Savannah,  whence  the 
steamboat  will  transport  you  through  byways  and 
inside  cuts  to  Jacksonville,  or  the  railroad  Avill  drag 
and  hurl  you  through  dust  and  dirt  by  day  and  night 
at  headlong  pace  from  tlie  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Gulf. 
But  if  you  Avant  to  enjoy  Florida,  if  you  want  to  go 
where  no  man  has  gone,  and  see  what  no  eye  has  seen, 
and  handle  what  no  hand  has  touched,  then  go  there 
in  a  yacht — in  a  small  yacht,  just  as  small  and  of  as 
light  draft  of  water  as  will  accommodate  comfortably 
the  party,  that  must  be  composed  of  individuals 
sufficiently  accustomed  to  one  another  to  be  sure 
they  can  live  together  for  three  montlis  without 
quarrelling.  Then,  indeed,  will  you  learn  what  Flor- 
ida is,  will  possess  its  charms  in  close  embrace  and 
have  experiences  and  pleasures  never  to  be  forgotten 
and  not  otherwise  to  be  obtained.  How  is  this  to  be 
done,  you  may  ask,  and  the  purpose  of  this  chapter 
is  to  tell  you  exactly  how. 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  13 

A  wealthy  magnate  may  go  in  a  big  yacht  to  Florida, 
give  good  dinners  aboard  and  live  in  grandeur  and 
hixury,  and  he  will  see  about  as  much — not  quite — 
as  if  he  had  left  his  yacht  at  home ;  or  the  hasty- 
plate-of-soup  man  may  take  a  little  steam  launch 
and  stave  her  in  on  the  first  snag  or  oyster  rock  he 
runs  her  against.  But  if  the  traveller  and  his 
friends  hire  or  buy  a  light-draught  sailing  vessel, 
they  will  require  more  time,  but  they  can  go  almost 
everywhere  and  see  absolutely  everything.  It  was 
just  such  a  vessel  that  I  liad  built  for  use  in  the  shoal 
Great  South  Bay  of  Long  Island — a  sharpie,  to  give 
its  nautical  appellation — of  sixty  feet  length  and 
fifteen  beam,  with  two  state-rooms,  a  cabin  having 
four  comfortable  berths  and  over  six  feet  head-room, 
and  a  cuddy  for  the  men  and  for  cooking,  although 
we  had  an  auxiliary  cook  stove  in  the  cabin.  This 
vessel  was  intended  to  carry  six  passengers  and  two 
men  ;  but  boats  of  seventeen  feet  length  and  a  cata- 
maran have  safely  made  the  passage  to  the  St.  John's 
River  and  are  there  now,  so  that  a  much  smaller 
craft  would  do.  The  advantage  of  the  sharpie  style 
of  construction  was  that  the  yacht  only  drew  two 
feet  of  water,  and  as  I  proposed  to  run  entirely  by. 
chart,  and  not  to  use  the  services  of  a  pilot,  this  was 
an  inestimable  advantage.  We  could  have  braved 
the  battle  and  the  breeze  of  the  Atlantic  and  gone 
outside  all  the  way,  but  those  who  know  most  of  the 
ocean  care  least  to  have  to  do  with  it  unless  equipped 
on  the  most  thorough  basis  to  encounter  its  buffets. 
As  an  old  sea  captain  said  to  me  : — ''When  I  go  to 


14  THE  INLAKB   PASSAGE. 

sea  I  want  to  go  in  a  steamer,  and  the  biggest  and 
strongest  steamer  at  that."  Moreover,  the  inside 
route  is  much  the  more  interesting  ;  there  is  nothing 
very  novel  about  the  sea  but  the  danger  of  it, 
whereas  the  bays,  creeks,  canals  and  rivers  furnish 
a  fresh  and  continually  changing  panorama.  There 
is  a  frequent  encounter  with  strange  people,  with 
vessels  of  queer  rigs  and  builds,  an  alternation  of 
scenery,  the  arrival  at  and  departure  from  cities,  the 
chance  to  occasionally  kill  a  bird  or  catch  a  mess  of 
fish — something  new  happening  every  day.  At  sea 
there  is  the  ocean — a  great  deal  of  ocean — and 
nothing  else. 

There  exists  a  complete  inside  route  from  New 
York  to  the  St.  John's  Eiver,  with  the  exception  of 
about  a  hundred  miles  south  of  Beaufort,  North 
Carolina,  and  on  tliis  stretch  tliere  are  many  acces- 
sible inlets  only  a  few  miles  apart,  so  that  no  vessel 
need  be  caught  out  overnight  or  can  fail  to  make  a 
safe  harbor  in  case  of  necessity.  The  charts  are 
nearly  complete  and  enable  a  person  of  ordinary  in- 
telligence, in  a  vessel  drawing  not  over  four  feet  of 
water,  to  be  entirely  independent  of  pilots.  The 
■lighter  the  draught,  however,  the  better,  and  I 
should  not  advise  the  use  of  any  boat  which  requires 
more  than  three  feet  to  float  in,  two  feet  being 
greatly  preferable. 

Do  not  start  for  the  South  before  the  first  day  of 
November  unless  you  wish  to  encounter  a  multi- 
plicity, variety  and  intensity  of  fever  that  would  be 
the  deli^fht  of  the  medical  profession.     Until  frost 


THE  tKLAKD  PASSAGE.  15 

comes,  there  is  waiting  for  you  a  choice  between 
fever  and  ague,  intermittent,  remittent,  typhoid, 
putrid,  break-bone,  yellow,  and  d'engue  fevers,  each 
of  which,  when  you  have  it,  seems  a  little  worse  than 
all  the  others  until  you  have  one  of  them  also,  an 
event  which  is  very  likely  to  happen,  when  you  dis- 
cover that  your  first  conclusions  were  erroneous. 
Then  before  you  start  get  good  and  ready.  Look 
over  your  fishing  tackle ;  be  sure  you  have  car- 
tridges enough,  and  load  them  all  with  powder,  but 
not  shot,  so  as  to  avoid  unpleasant  explosions.  Use 
your  five  hundred  pounds  of  shot  for  ballast. 

Lay  in  a  tub  of  Northern  butter  and  some  white 
potatoes,  but  do  not  imagine  you  are  going  to  a 
land  of  barbarism.  You  can  get  better  hams,  bet- 
ter hard-tack,  and  as  good  and  cheap  canned  goods 
in  Norfolk  as  you  can  in  New  York.  Fresh  eggs 
are  to  be  had  everywhere,  turkeys  and  chickens  are 
fair,  and  are  sold  in  market  cleaned,  and  if  Southern 
beef  is  tough  it  has  a  peculiar  game  flavor  which  is 
very  agreeable.  Take  in  a  good  supply  of  coal;  use 
it  for  ballast  if  there  is  no  other  place  to  ctow  it, 
for  you  may  get  frozen  in  during  a  cold  spell,  and 
will  surely  want  plenty  of  extraneous  warmth  be- 
fore you  reach  the  ** Sunny  South."  Then  when 
you  are  ready,  sail  up  Raritan  Bay,  get  a  tow 
through  the  Raritan  and  Delaware  Bay  Canal,  and 
even  across  to  Delaware  City  if  you  please,  and  so 
across  to  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  where  your  journey 
may  be  said  really  to  commence,  for  thenceforth 
you  will  have  to  rely  on  your  sails  and  your  brains. 


16  THE  IKLAIfD   PASSAGE. 

your  motive  power  and  your  charts.  There  are 
very  thorough  and  complete  charts  of  the  Chesa- 
peake, six  in  number,  carrying  you  the  entire  way 
to  Norfolk  and  insuring  you  a  good  and  safe  harbor 
whenever  you  need  it.  Do  not  forget  that  this  is  a 
big  sheet  of  water,  and  that  you  are  on  a  pleasure 
trip,  and  will  be  much  more  comfortable  if  at 
anchor  during  the  night.  Besides,  there  is  time 
enough;  you  have  all  winter  before  you,  as  you  can- 
not get  back  until  spring  if  you  wanted  to,  now 
that  Jack  Frost  is  about  shutting  the  gates.  From 
Norfolk  you  can  take  a  tow  through  the  Albemarle 
and  Chesapeake  Canal  or  not,  as  you  please;  much 
better  not  if  you  happen  to  have  a  good  northerly 
wind,  as  there  is  only  one  lock,  and  you  can  make 
the  distance  more  pleasantly  and  safely  under  sail. 
If  your  vessel  draws  less  than  three  feet,  you  leave 
the  canal  when  you  reach  North  Landing  Eiver,  of 
which  there  is  a  chart,  and  you  go  down  through 
Currituck  Sound  by  Van  Slyck's  Landing,  and 
thence  through  the  Narrows.  Beyond  that  for 
some  distance,  as  the  chart  says,  you  *'can  only 
carry  three  feet  of  Avater,  and  that  with  difficulty." 
If  your  vessel  is  of  greater  draught,  you  must  take 
the  extension  of  the  canal  which  carries  you  to 
North  Eiver,  from  which  point  there  is  plenty  of 
water  all  the  way.  You  can  get  a  condensed  chart 
from  the  Albemarle  and  Chesapeake  Canal  Com- 
pany, which  will  give  you  a  general  idea  of  the 
route  from  Norfolk  to  Smithville,  and  which  will 
be  found  very  useful.     But  the  Grovernment  charts 


IHE  IXLAKD   PASSAGE.  17 

of  Pamlico  Sound,  which  were  completed  in  the 
fall  of  1883,  should  by  all  means  be  taken  also,  as 
they  are  simply  invaluable  in  case  of  storm  and  the 
necessity  of  seeking  harbor  unexpectedly.  Goy- 
ernment  chart  No.  40  or  140  (both  numbers  are 
used)  will  give  you  Currituck  Sound  from  just 
above  Van  Slyck's,  and  also  North  River  from  the 
mouth  of  the  canal,  all  that  is  necessary  of  Albe- 
marle Sound,  Croatan  and  Eoanoke  Sounds,  either 
of  which  you  may  take,  and  the  magnetic  courses 
and  distances  to  steer  by  as  far  south  as  Eoanoke 
Marshes  Light.  The  post  office  at  Van  Slyck's 
Landing  is  called  Poplar  Branch  Post  Office,  Curri- 
tuck County,  N.  C,  and  you  can  get  your  letters 
and  coarse  supplies  there,  but  no  bread.  The  next 
good  harbor  is  Kitty  Hawk,  where  there  is  also  a 
store  and  post  office.  If  you  go  through  Eoanoke 
Sound,  remember  that  below  Shallowbag  Bay  the 
channel  runs  close  along  shore,  closer  than  it  seems 
on  the  chart.  You  will  have  to  feel  your  way  care- 
fully across  below  Broad  Creek.  There  is  plenty  of 
water  if  you  find  it,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  find. 
From  the  southerly  end  of  Eoanoke  Island  to  Long 
Shoal  Light  the  course  is  south  by  west;  from 
Eoanoke  Marshes  Light  it  is  soutli,  one  half  west. 
You  can  go  a  mile  inside  of  this  light,  but  not  fur- 
ther, as  the  shoal  beyond  has  not  a  foot  of  water 
on  it.  Just  north  of  this  light  is  Stumpy  Point 
Bay,  where  you  can  make  a  good  harbor,  carrying 
clear  inside  four  feet  of  water.  From  Long  Shoal 
Light  the  course  is  south-west  to  a  buoy  on  Bluff 


18  THE  1NLAJS"D  PASSAGE. 

Shoal;  but  as  there  is  seven  feet  of  water  on  the 
shoal,  accuracy  is  not  necessary,  and  the  same 
course  continued  will  take  you  near  Royal  Shoal, 
Avhich  is  easily  made  out,  as  there  are  two  lights  on 
it.  From  this  the  course  is  south  by  west  to  Har- 
bor Island  light,  at  the  entrance  of  Core  Sound. 
This  light  is  abandoned  and  is  falling  down,  but 
during  the  day  the  building  is  visible  a  long  dis- 
tance. If  you  can  get  a  free  wind,  you  can  make 
the  run  from  Long  Shoal  to  Harbor  Island  in  a  day, 
provided  you  get  under  way  early,  which  every  sen- 
sible yachtsman  is  careful  to  do.  If  not,  you  must 
hug  the  main  shore  and  look  out,  as  there  are  many 
shoals  and  no  tide  to  help  you  off  if  you  get 
aground.  The  waters  are  salt  and  only  moved  by 
the  wind;  and  as  Pamlico  Sound  is  a  miniature 
ocean  and  gets  up  a  big  sea,  it  is  well  to  be  careful. 
If  you  are  caught  near  Royal  Shoal,  unless  you  are 
acquainted  with  the  channels,  steer  for  the  beach, 
where  you  can  get  holding  ground  if  not  much  of 
a  harbor.  The  charts  of  Pamlico  Sound  are  Nos. 
42,  43,  and  44. 

There  is  a  good  chart  of  Core  Sound,  which  is 
sllallo^f  but  well  staked  out,  the  stakes  having  hands 
on  them  to  show  on  which  side  is  the  best  water. 
You  can  carry  two  feet  of  water  close  along  the 
shore  from  the  buoy  off  the  middle  marshes,  just 
west  of  Harker's  Island  into  Beaufort,  but  the  main 
channel  is  more  to  the  southward  and  runs  to  the 
point  of  Shackleford  Banks.  Then  you  go  up  Bulk- 
head Channel,  keep  along  the  north  shore  of  Town 


THE   INLAND   PASSAGE.  19 

Marsh  a  hundred  rods,  and  then  northeast  and  keep 
the  lead  going  to  Beaufort,  N.  C.  From  here  you 
can  either  sail  through  Bogue  Sound,  of  which 
there  is  no  chart,  or  go  directly  to  sea.  As  the  land 
trends  westward,  it  makes  a  lee  even  from  a  north- 
easter and  is  as  safe  as  any  outside  sailing  can  be. 

There  is  a  chart  of  Beaufort,  N.  C,  which  takes 
you  a  few  miles  into  Bogue  Sound,  but  that  is  all. 
South  of  Bogue  Inlet,  New  Topsail  Inlet  is  one  of 
the  best,  then  Masonboro,  and  from  either  of  these 
a  good  wind  will  carry  you  past  Cape  Fear,  the  only 
spot  you  have  to  dread  and  where  you  must  manage 
not  to  get  caught.  There  is  a  good  chart  of  Cape 
Fear,  but  the  rule  of  the  local  pilots  is  to  follow  the 
eighteen-foot  shoal  down  till  you  open  Fort  Caswell 
by  the  main  Light  on  Bald  Head,  and  then  steer 
straight  for  the  Fort,  which  will  give  you  six  feet  of 
water  up  to^the  beach.  But  remember,  there  is 
shoal  water  outside  of  you,  and  you  must  look  out 
for  breakers.  The  next  harbor  is  Little  River  Inlet, 
and  then  comes  Winyah  Bay,  of  vrhich  there  is  a 
chart,  and  then  Bull's  Bay,  of  which  also  you  can 
get  a  chart. 

From  Bull's  Bay  it  is  inside  work  and  a  sl^l,  but 
not  a  difficult  passage,  to  Charleston  Harbor.  Of 
this  there  is  no  chart  yet  printed,  and  it  ought  to  be 
run,  if  possible,  in  a  tide  which  will  help  at  both 
ends  by  running  up  from  Bull's  Bay  and  down  into 
Charleston  Harbor.  You  come  out  at  the  cove  near 
Fort  Moultrie  where  it  is  well  to  stop,  as  Charleston 
Harbor  is  a  large  place  in  rough  weather  for  small 


20  THE  IKLAKD   PASSAGE. 

boats.  Here  you  begin  on  Coast  Chart  No.  54  (or 
154).  Go  up  the  Ashley  Eiver  till  St.  Michael's 
Church  (which  has  the  whitest  spire)  opens  to  the 
north  of  the  rice  mills,  and  steer  into  Wappoo  Cut, 
which  lies  just  south  of  some  prominent  buildings 
on  a  point  on  the  left  shore.  It  Avill  carry  you  with- 
out trouble  into  the  Stono  Eiver.  Here  the  chart 
fails  you,  you  ascend  the  Stono,  keeping  a  westerly 
course  past  the  first  branch  to  the  north  which  heads 
toward  a  railroad  in  full  view.  When  a  large  mill 
on  the  north  side  is  reached  a  lead  branches  to  the 
south.  This  must  be  avoided,  and  a  mill  with  a 
tower  will  soon  be  reached.  This  is  on  Wadmelaw 
River,  where  the  chart  resumes  its  proper  vocation. 
Thence  across  the  North  Edisto,  the  Dawho  River, 
thence  into  the  South  Edisto,  around  Jehossee,  but 
not  through  Wall's  Cut,  which  the  natives  assured 
me  was  not  open.  Just  at  the  south  point  of  Jehossee 
Island,  Mosquito  Creek  enters  the  South  Edisto  ; 
take  the  westerly  lead  where  they  branch  just  inside 
the  mouth,  and  then  through  Bull's  Cut  into  the 
Ashepoo  ;  down  the  Ashepoo  and  across  St.  Helena 
Sound^jid  either  up  the  Coosaw  and  past  Beaufort, 
S.  C.^T^he  name  of  the  town  being  pronounced 
Bufort,  which  is  about  as  sliort  as  any  route,  or 
across  the  Sound  to  Harbor  River  and  through  it 
and  Story  and  Station  Creeks  into  Port  Royal 
Sound.  This  is  a  big  place  again  and  uncomfort- 
able at  night  in  a  storm  with  a  heavy  tide  and  sea. 
You  now  take  Coast  Chart  No.  55  (or  155).  There 
is  a  special  chart  of  the  route  from  St.  Helena  to 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  21 

Port  Royal,  but  it  is  not  necessary.  You  steer  nearly 
west  from  the  buoys  off  the  mouth  of  Station  Creek 
to  Bobee's  Island  at  the  mouth  of  Skull  Creek. 
There  is  an  oyster  rock  in  the  middle  of  Skull  Creek 
where  it  makes  its  first  bend  to  the  southeast,  and 
this  is  the  only  danger  before  reaching  Calibogue 
Sound.  In  crossing  Tybee  roads,  keep  well  out  to 
Red  Buoy  No.  2,  whether  you  go  directly  south  or 
turn  north  to  visit  Savannah.  If  the  latter,  go  by 
the  Light  Beacon  and  to  the  westward  of  it,  if  the 
former,  take  Lazaretto  Creek  into  Tybee  River  and 
Warsaw  Sound.  Keep  well  out  by  the  buoys  again 
and  head  for  Romerly  Marsh  Creek. 

If  you  have  gone  to  Savannah,  continue  your  jour- 
ney by  the  way  of  Wilmington  River  to  the  same 
place,  unless  your  boat  is  small  enough  to  pole  easily, 
in  which  case  you  can  go  through  Skiddaway  Nar- 
rows. Romerly  Marsh  and  Adams  Creeks  will  bring 
you  into  Vernon  River,  when  you  steer  for  Hell 
Gate,  between  Little  Don  Island  and  Raccoon  Key. 
If  you  have  come  through  Skiddaway  and  down  the 
Burnside  and  Vernon  Rivers,  you  can  go  inside  of 
Little  Don  Island.  Here  you  use  chart  No. ^6  (or 
156).  Cross  the  Ogeechee  River,  and  follo\^ipthe 
west  bank  to  Florida  Passage,  through  it  and  Bear 
River  to  St.  Catharine's  Sound,  across  it  and  up 
Newport  River  to  Johnson's  Creek  ;  thence  down 
the  South  Newport  to  Sapelo  Sound. 

There  is  good  fishing  in  Barbour's  River,  just 
above  where  the  words  "Barbour's  Island"  are  on 
the  chart.     Continue  across  Sapelo  Sound  and  into 


22  THE   IIS'LAND   PASSAGE. 

Mud  Kiver ;  take  the  middle  of  this  to  New  Tea- 
kettle Creek,  which  will  bring  you  into  Doboy 
Sound.  Keep  to  the  north  of  Doboy  town,  which  is 
a  prominent  object  on  the  flat  meadows.  Here  chart 
No.  57  (or  157)  begins,  and  you  go  from  Duboy 
straight  through  Little  Mud  Eiver  and  the  same 
course  across  Altamaha  Sound ;  then  follow  the 
channel  northwesterly  into  Buttermilk  Sound ; 
then  either  through  Mackay's  or  Frederica  Eivers, 
as  the  wind  best  serves,  into  St.  Simon's  Sound. 
Here  the  water  is  deeper  and  you  can  go  directly 
across  from  the  black  buoy  No.  7  to  the  black  buoy 
at  the  mouth  of  Jekyls  Creek.  There  are  two 
mouths  to  this  creek.  Take  the  easterly  one  and  run 
straight  from  the  ranges  on  the  point.  Follow  across 
Jekyls  and  St.  Andrew's  Sounds  up  Cumberland 
Kiver.  At  its  head  waters  there  are  some  islands; 
the  channel  is  from  a  stake  on  shore  to  the  west  of 
the  eastermost  island,  then  by  ranges  on  the  point, 
which  carry  you  past  a  little  island  with  ranges  which 
give  you  the  course  south.  Use  the  lead  here. 
Thence  down  Cumberland  Sound  by  Dungeness,  for- 
merl^^he  property  of  Gen.  Nathaniel  Green,  and 
whie!^s  much  visited  by  tourist  parties,  across  the 
St.  Mary's  Eiver  and  up  the  Amelia  to  Fernandina. 
Here  chart  No.  58  (or  158)  begins.  From  the 
Amelia  Eiver  you  go  to  Kingley's  Creek  past  two 
drawbridges.  The  railroad  bridge  is  out  of  order 
and  will  not  open  square  with  the  bulkhead.  Be 
careful  here,  as  several  accidents  have  happened  and 
the  tide  runs  stronsr.  Continue  across  Nassau  Sound 


THE   lifLAKD   PASSAGE.  23 

to  Sawpit  Creek,  at  the  mouth  of  which  there  is  a 
black  buoy  not  laid  down  on  the  chart.  Keep  to 
the  southward  of  this  buoy  and  run  on  through  Gun- 
nison's Cut,  which  you  will  recognize  by  two  pal- 
metto trees  that  look  like  gate-posts  at  a  distance. 
Down  Fort  George  River  to  the  Sisters  Creek  and 
thence  to  the  St.  John's  River  where  you  will  find  a 
dock — a  watermark  not  to  be  forgotten  on  your  re- 
turn trip.  There  are  three  charts  of  the  St.  John's, 
which  gire  it  in  full  from  its  mouth  to  Lake  Har- 
ney ;  the  points  to  remember  are  to  cross  from  Han- 
nah Mills  Creek  to  St.  John's  Bluff,  and  thence 
back  again  to  Clapboard  Creek,  whence  you  follow 
up  the  north  shore,  keeping  it  as  far  as  Dame  Point 
close  aboard.  Beyond  this  you  can  have  no  trouble, 
as  the  St.  John's  has  but  one  or  two  shoals  where 
there  is  less  than  six  feet  of  water,  and  it  is  well 
marked  out  with  buoys  and  beacons. 

If  this  description  sounds  a  little  tedious  to  the 
reader,  he  will  not  think  it  so  when  he  makes  the 
trip.  If  you  want  a  pilot  for  any  part  of  the  route, 
one  can  be  had  by  applying  to  Captain  Coste,  of  the 
Lighthouse  Service  at  Charleston  ;  but  there  ^je  few 
persons  who  know  what  I  have  herein  recorded,  and 
none  of  those  will  tell.  We  have  had  a  long  trip — 
for  long  as  it  has  been  on  paper,  it  has  been  longer 
in  reality.  Two  Aveeks  from  New  York  to  Beaufort, 
N.  C.  ;  ten  days  thence  to  Charleston,  and  ten  more 
to  Jacksonville  may  be  required,  unless  the  traveller 
is  one  of  those  lucky  fellows  who  always  have  a  free 
wind  through  life.     So  he  may  want  to  rest,  have 


24  THE   INLAND   PASSAGE. 

his  clothes  washed,  dress  up  in  ''a  boiled  shirt"  for 
a  change,  and  revive  the  fact  that  he  is  one  of  the 
aristocracy,  not  an  ordinary  seaman.  He  will  soon 
tire  of  civilization,  however,  and  long  for  the  pleas- 
ures of  the  chase.  Then  let  him  ascend  any  of  the 
tributaries  of  the  St.  John's  from  San  Pablo  at  its 
mouth  to  Juniper  Creek,  which  empties  into  the 
southerly  end  of  Lake  George.  It  was  on  the  latter 
stream  that  I  nearly  killed  a  Limpkin. 

The  man  does  not  live  who  has  actually  caught  or 
shot  a  Limpkin.  There  are  no  Limpkins  for  sale 
in  the  curiosity  shops,  where  almost  every  other  pro- 
duction of  Florida  is  to  be  had.  It  is  admitted  that 
the  Limpkin,  like  the  recognized  ghost,  is  proof 
against  powder  and  ball.  But  the  writer  never  miss- 
es— that  is,  on  paper  and  when  he  is  recording  his 
shots.  All  writers  do  the  same.  So  when  the  Limp- 
kin sat  on  a  limb  and  whistled  and  chuckled  and 
bobbed  and  bowed  and  finally  flew  away  just  before 
we  were  near  enough,  and  I  fired  as  he  disappeared 
with  horrible  screams  through  the  forest,  one  leg 
dropped  !  I  had  not  killed  him,  but  even  a  Limpkin 
Avas  not  quite  proof  against  my  aim.  Mr.  Seth 
Green,  who  was  with  me  at  the  time  and  can  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  this  statement,  remarked  in  a  mel- 
ancholy tone  of  voice  that  he  wished  he  had  had  his 
rifle.  As  he  had  not  succeeded  in  hitting  anything 
with  his  rifle  thus  far  since  we  started,  although  he 
had  fired  away  half  his  cartridges,  there  is  a  chance 
that  he  might  have  succeeded  this  time  by  way  of 
a  change,  and  so  I  agreed  with  him  heartily. 


THE  INLAKD   PASSAGE.  25 

Alligators  will  not  appear  till  warm  weather — that 
is,  till  the  middle  of  January — ^by  which  time  the 
tourists  will  think  he  has  got  into  the  dog  days,  but 
fish  are  abundant  in  all  the  fresh-water  streams.  In 
that  very  Juniper  Creek  we  caught  so  many  big- 
mouthed  bass  with  fly  and  spoon  that  we  not  only 
gave  up  fishing,  but  had  to  salt  down  dozens.  And, 
by  the  way,  these  fish  are  much  more  of  game  fish 
than  they  are  at  the  North  ;  the  smallest  fight  well, 
take  the  fly  freely  and  jump  out  of  water  as  frequent- 
ly and  fiercely  as  the  small-mouthed  variety  in  our 
waters. 

Before  leaving  the  instructive  branch  of  my  sub- 
ject I  wish  to  advise  the  yachtsman  against  giving 
too  much  weight  to  the  appearance  of  the  Southern 
sky.  This  will  often  cloud  up  toward  evening  in  the 
most  threatening  way.  Such  a  heavenly  monitor  at 
the  North  would  warn  us  to  make  everything  snug 
and  get  the  best  bower  over,  but  in  the  South  these 
appearances  signify  nothing.  After  a  most  fright- 
ful-looking evening  the  morning  will  break  clear  and 
warm  and  quiet.  There  are  few  storms  in  Florida 
during  the  winter,  a  '* norther'  occasionally  and 
possible  a  thunder  storm,  bu  t  no  fierce  northeasters 
and  no  hurricanes.  As  to  the  comparative  advantages 
of  working  through  the  tortuous  creeks  vv'i  th  changing 
tides,  or  running  outside  for  short  stretches,  a  pref- 
erence might  be  given  to  the  latter  were  it  not  that 
the  shoals  off  the  mouths  of  the  inlets  extend  so  far 
to  sea.  Many  of  the  rivers  have  carried  down  so 
much  sediment  that  they  have  made  shoals  ten  or 
2 


26  THE   INLAND    PASSAGE. 

fifteen  miles  off  shore.  So  that  apart  from  questions 
of  safety  and  comfort,  the  distance  by  the  inside 
passage  is  the  shortest. 

In  going  South  the  yachtsman  will  pass  large  and ' 
numerous  flocks  of  bay  snipe  on  all  the  marshes 
south  of  Charleston.  These  marshes  are  muddy 
islands  and  of  a  peculiar  nature.  On  the  surface 
when  dry  they  are  firm  enough  for  walking,  but 
their  shores  are  unfathomable  ooze  beneath  wliich 
a  man  would  sink  at  once  out  of  sight  and  into 
which  an  oar  can  be  run  for  its  entire  length  with- 
out an  effort.  Curlew,  willet,  marlin,  all  varieties 
down  to  the  tiny  ox-eye,  and  in  immense  flocks, 
frequent  these  islands,  where  they  seem  to  find  food 
without  stint.  To  stool  them  you  can  set  out  your 
decoys  in  the  thin  grass  and  make  a  stand  near  by 
from  reeds  or  bushes.  They  are  quite  wary,  how- 
ever, and  seem  to  have  learned  the  evil  significance 
of  a  gun.  These  marshy  islands  are  honeycombed 
with  the  burrows  of  the  fiddler  crab,  and  mussels 
grow  on  their  surface  in  soft  mounds  of  earth. 
They  are  covered  by  very  high  tides  and  are  always 
more  or  less  damp.  The  bay  snipe,  however,  do  not 
seem  to  winter  here.  They  leave  a  small  proportion 
of  their  numbers,  but  the  main  body  goes  further 
South,  possibly  beyond  the  equator.  There  are  no 
such  myriads  as  the  Northern  flight  would  require, 
and  they  grow  fewer  and  fewer  as  the  season  advan- 
ces, till  in  March  they  are  almost  scarce.  Let  the 
sportsman  take  his  toll  from  them  while  he  can  ; 
stopping  amidst  the  lonesomeness  of  these  islands 


THE    INLAND    PASSAGE.  27 

where  it  is  certain  death  to  pass  a  summer,  and  few 
of  which  are  inhabited,  and  where  he  may  sail  tens 
of  miles  without  seeing  a  man,  white  or  black. 
Let  him  try  the  deep  holes  alongside  of  bluffs  or 
where  two  creeks  meet  for  sheepshead,  using  for 
bait  the  Southern  prawn,  that  gigantic  shrimp, 
with  its  body  six  inches  long  and  its  feelers  ten ; 
and  if  he  can  catch  no  fish  and  misses  the  birds, 
let  him  rejoice  in  knowing  that  there  are  millions 
of  both  in  Florida. 

In  describing  my  trip  to  Florida,  I  do  not  intend 
to  pursue  any  consecutive  plan,  or  follow  the  posi- 
tive order  of  events.  It  is  not  important  to  know 
that  we  turned  out — to  use  the  proper  nautical 
term — at  a  certain  hour  in  the  morning  of  a  cer- 
tain day,  and  that  we  turned  in  again  at  night  at 
some  other  division  of  mean  sidereal  or  solar  time, 
nor  that  we  went  a  certain  course  or  made  so  many 
miles  one  day  and  so  many  more  or  less  the  next. 
That  is,  the  reader  does  not  want  to  have  too  much 
of  this,  although  a  little  now  and  then  may  tend  to 
give  a  general  idea  of  the  trials,  difficulties,  and  en- 
joyments of  a  yachtman's  life.  But  whether  we 
arrived  at  a  place  at  five  p.  m.  or  five  A.  m.,  important 
as  it  may  have  been  to  us  at  the  time,  cannot,  so  far 
as  I  can  judge,  interest  the  reader  as  deeply  as  I 
hope  to  interest  him.  For  all  such  information  I 
will  refer  him  to  the  ordinary  books  of  travel. 
That  we  did  occasionally  make  fast  time  in  our  little 
half  scow,  half  yacht,  that  I  built  on  the  scheme  of 
putting  a  sail  in  a  canal  boat,  will  be  proved  by  this 


28  THE   INLAifD    PASSAGE. 

single  event ;  when  running  across  St.  Simon's 
sound  in  a  fog,  we  passed  a  large  steamer  yacht, 
called  the  "  Gleam,"  one  of  the  largest  and  finest 
of  Herreschoff's  productions.  We  found  her  again 
in  Jacksonville  when  we  reached  there.  She  had 
left  Savannah  on  the  second  of  January,  we  had  left 
Charleston  on  the  tenth ;  she  had  arrived  two  days 
ahead  of  us,  so  that  by  being  able  to  keep  inside 
out  of  the  storms  and  fogs  of  the  Atlantic,  we  had 
actually  gone  nearly  double  the  distance  in  six  days 
less  time. 

The  personnel  of  our  party  was  made  up  of  a 
sporting  medical  man,  Mr.  Seth  Green,  the  famous 
fish-culturist,  the  ladies  of  the  families  and  myself. 
We  went  without  any  restriction  as  to  time,  which 
is  a  most  essential  point  in  a  yachting  trip,  and  we 
stopped  where  we  pleased,  and  as  long  as  we  pleased, 
we  shot  where  there  Avere  birds  to  shoot,  we  fished 
where  there  Avere  fish  to  catch,  and  where  there  were 
neither,  we  lay  in  the  shade  of  the  awning,  if  the 
weather  was  warm,  and  smoked,  or  ate  those  globes 
of  concentrated  lusciousness,  the  grape  fruit  when 
we  felt  too  energetic  to  loaf,  and  not  energetic 
enough  to  fish  or  shoot.  Our  trip  was  something  of 
an  exploring  expedition,  and  we  had  possible  dangers 
and  inevitable  inconveniences  to  encounter.  Other 
parties  had  gone  to  Florida  in  the  same  way,  but 
they  had  left  no  record  of  their  adventures,  no 
guide-posts  for  those  who  should  come  after  them. 
So  far  as  we  were  concerned,  the  country  from 
North  Carolina  to  the  Land  of  Flowers  was  a  terra 


THE   INLAND    PASSAGE.  29 

incognita.  We  knew  that  there  were  birds,  and 
beasts,  and  fish,  in  that  equatorial  region,  but  where 
to  find  them,  how  to  reach  them,  and  by  what 
methods  to  catch  and  kill  them,  were  wholly  un- 
known to  us.  No  one,  after  reading  this  record, 
will  have  the  same  complaint  to  make.  Several  of 
the  Government  charts  were  not  completed,  notably 
those  of  Pamlico  Sound,  and  the  corrections  of  that 
from  Charleston  south,  so  as  to  show  the  inside 
route  had  not  been  made  in  the  year  1882,  which 
was  the  one  I  had  selected  for  the  expedition. 

We  had  sent  the  ''Heartsease"  to  Norfolk,  and 
were  to  meet  her  there,  as  by  so  doing  we  would 
save  time  that  could  be  better  utilized  than  by 
going  over  ground  with  Avhich  we  were  pretty  well 
familiar — that  of  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and 
Virginia.  At  Norfolk,  after  we  had  purchased 
what  hard-bread,  cake,  pies,  and  other  stores  and 
luxuries  we  needed,  and  had  been  through  tlie  fish 
market,  and  selected  an  abundance  of  the  largest 
"spot,"  which  is  regarded  as  the  most  delicious 
native  fish,  although  it  is  nothing  more  than  what 
we  call  the  Lafayette  fish  at  the  North,  Ave  engaged 
a  tow  and  started  on  our  journey.  We  had  to  go 
through  the  Albemarle  and  Chesapeake  canal,  and 
made  our  first  mistake  in  supposing  that  a  tow  was 
a  necessity  for  the  operation.  The  puffy,  dirty, 
fussy,  little  steamboat  ran  us  against  everything 
that  she  came  near,  and  were  it  not  that  she  was 
unable  to  attain  any  considerable  rate  of  speed,  our 
journey    might    have  terminated  before  it  fairly 


30  THE   INLAND   PASSAGE. 

began.  She  jammed  us  against  the  dock  when  we 
were  starting,  banged  us  into  the  first  vessel  we  met 
on  our  Avay,  bumped  ns  into  the  banks  of  the  canal 
when  we  had  entered  it,  dashed  us  into  the  only 
lock  there  was  to  get  foul  of,  and  then  rammed  us 
against  a  dredging  scow  so  fiercely,  that  there  was 
a  momentary  doubt  whether  we  should  not  be 
dredged  out  as  an  impediment  to  travel. 

However,  in  spite  of  all  these  misadventures,  we 
made  Currituck  before  night.  We  determined  to 
stay  there  some  days  for  duck  shooting,  but  I  shall 
not  stop  to  describe  the  sport  we  had.  It  is  enough, 
that  we  loaded  down  our  vessel  with  provisions, 
which,  as  the  weather  came  out  cold,  kept  till  they 
were  all  consumed,  and  saved  us  from  recourse  to 
those  last  resources  of  the  way-farer,  the  insipid 
canned  meats,  which,  somehow,  the  manufacturers 
manage  to  make  taste  so  nearly  alike,  that  one  will 
answer  for  the  other,  whether  it  is  called  mutton, 
beef,  or  fowl.  Then  we  sped  away  south,  running 
into  Kittyhawk  Bay  for  a  harbor  and  a  turkey,  for 
no  one  must  imagine  that  it  is  necessary  to  starve 
in  the  South,  even  amid  the  desolation  of  the  deso- 
late Eastern  Shore.  Not  only  does  the  proverbial 
hospitality  of  the  Southern  people  still  exist  as  far 
as  the  effect  of  a  desolating  war  has  left  it  a  possi- 
bility, but  there  are  certain  kinds  of  food  to  be  got 
there  more  readily  than  even  at  the  North.  It  has 
heretofore  been  a  reproach  to  our  Southern  colored 
brother,  that  the  attractions  of  a  hen-roost  and  lus- 
ciousness  of  a  fat  turkey  gobbler  Avere  too  much  for 


THE   INLAND    PASSAGE.  31 

his  ■virtue.  But  this  state  of  facts  and  morals  is 
changing,  the  darkey  is  turning  poultry  fancier,  he 
is  getting  to  raise  chickens  and  sell  eggs,  he  is  fast 
becoming  a  bloated  fowl  holder,  and  regular  goose 
and  turkey  wing  clipper  ;  in  his  eyes  the  chicken  is 
assuming  a  different  status,  and  hen-roost  maraud- 
ing is  fast  becoming  a  heinous  crime,  than  which 
there  is  none  more  unpardonable.  He  will  soon  be 
the  fowl  monopolist,  and  when  that  day  comes  I 
predict  that  the  chicken  will  be  regarded  as  a  sacred 
bird,  and  placed  in  the  same  catagory  as  the  ibis  of 
Egypt.  As  it  is,  eggs  can  be  obtained  almost  any- 
where, and  wherever  there  is  a  darkey's  hut,  there 
the  voice  of  the  cackling  hen  ascends  in  welcome 
and  suggestive  music  to  high  heaven,  resonant  of 
omelettes  plain,  omelettes  aux  fines  herhes,  with 
ham  or  with  onion,  of  scrambled  eggs,  boiled, 
roasted  eggs,  of  pan  cakes  and  sweet  cakes,  of  cus- 
tards, egg-nog,  and  all  the  thousands  delicacies 
towards  which  the  hen  contributes  with  enthusiastic 
zeal,  and  greatly  to  the  happiness  of  man. 

The  course  of  the  contraband  can  be  exemplified 
by  that  of  the  milk  farmer,  if  the  story  which  I 
once  heard  from  an  eminent  retired  politician  is 
true,  as  I  think  it  may  be.  Many  of  the  farmers 
living  in  the  neighborhood  of  Utica  were  in  the 
habit  of  supplying  that  city  with  milk  from  the 
herds  of  cows  that  the  magnificent  meadows  of  the 
vicinity  easily  supported.  Those  careful  and  con- 
scientious gentlemen,  aware  of  the  heating  proper- 
ties of  milk  in  its  strong  and  crude  state,  felt  it  was 


32  THE   INLAND   PASSAGE. 

but  a  duty  they  owed  their  fellow  beiugs,  and  espe- 
cially their  customers,  to  make  sure  that  they  did 
not  incur  the  evils  which  were  certain  to  arise  from 
the  unguarded  use  of  so  deleterious  a  beverage. 
They  mixed  the  dangerous  fluid  with  a  sufficient 
proportion  of  water  to  kill  the  germs  of  disease, 
and  lest  their  motives  should  be  misunderstood, 
they  did  not  mention  their  tlionghtfulness  to  the 
consumers.  Hence  it  was  that  Utica  enjoyed  unex- 
ampled health,  and  it  would  no  doubt  have  contin- 
ued in  the  same  enjoyment  except  for  a  change  in 
the  methods  of  milk  culture.  Milk,  instead  of 
being  converted  into  butter  or  sold  in  its  natural 
state,  came  in  time  to  be  manufactured  into  cheese. 
Great  cheese  dairies  were  established,  to  which  the 
farmers  sent  their  milk,  in  place  of  disposing  of  it 
by  local  trade.  Now  it  was  essential  that  the  milk 
so  delivered  should  be  absolutely  pure,  for  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  product  not  only  depended  on  this, 
but  also  in  order  that  the  amount  might  bo  fairly 
credited  to  each  of  the  persons  furnishing  a  share  of 
the  supply.  Then  tlie  bucolic  view  that  had  hereto- 
fore obtained  in  that  neighborhood  was  modified, 
and  of  all  the  sins  in  the  decalogue,  none  was  quite 
so  henious  as  the  adulteration  of  milk.  I  do  not 
vouch  for  this  story,  although  a  long  course  of  lac- 
tic experience  in  the  city  of  New  York  gives  it  an 
air  of  possibility.  Certain  it  is  that  since  the  in- 
troduction of  cheese  factories,  the  health  of  TJtica 
has  declined,  but  then  no  one  can  positively  say  that 
this  change  is  due  entirely  to  the  purity  of  the  milk. 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  33 

On  our  way  to  Kitty  Hawk,  we  had  passed  a 
number  of  nets  which  the  local  fishermen  were  haul- 
ing, and  Mr.  Green,  who  had  a  mania  for  inter- 
viewing every  one  he  met,  had  promptly  boarded 
the  first  of  the  boats,  obtained  all  the  statistics,  and 
even  helped  make  one  haul.  He  found  out  that 
they  caught  what  they  called  chub,  the  big-mouthed 
bass  {Grystes  salmoides),  as  large  as  eiglit  pounds; 
white  perch;  the  robin,  Avhich  is  our  sunfish;  red 
fin,  our  yellow  perch;  bull  sucker,  our  black  sucker; 
sucker-mullet,  our  mullet,  which  were  taken  in  the 
creeks  and  up  in  the  swamps,  and  nanny  shad,  which 
seemed  to  be  our  gizzard  shad,  known  in  Baltimore 
as  bream.  As  they  did  not  have  all  these  varieties 
in  the  boat  at  the  time,  we  were  not  quite  sure  as  to 
the  last.  The  fishermen  knew  nothing  of  the 
spawning  season,  but  we  found  roe  three  inches 
long  in  a  seven-pound  big-mouthed  black  bass. 

There  is  a  club  house  at  Kitty  Hawk  Bay,  belong- 
ing to  the  Kitty  Hawk  Ducking  Club,  but  it  was 
deserted  when  wo  were  there  by  the  club,  and  given 
over  to  the  possession  of  Captain  Cain,  who  runs 
the  principal  fishery  in  that  part  of  the  country. 
He  told  us  that  the  bass  spawned  in  March,  and 
that  the  same  kinds  of  fish  were  caught  near  there 
which  I  have  described.  While  we  were  ashore  en- 
joying his  hospitality,  a  sudden  squall  came  up  and 
blew  most  of  the  water  out  of  the  bay,  so  that  the 
small  boat  in  which  we  had  come  ashore  was  left  a 
hundred  feet  from  the  edge  of  the  water. 

The    next  day,  which  was    December  8th,  we 


34  THE  IIS'LAND   PASSAGE. 

passed  Nag's-liead  Hotel,  and  came  to  anchor  in  a 
perfect  little  harbor  in  the  lower  part  of  Roanoke 
Island,  where  Captain  Cain  once  had  a  terrapin 
farm.  It  was  a  charming,  though  deserted,  spot,  a 
bay  just  large  enough  for  the  yacht  to  swing  in,  and 
completely  land-locked,  the  buildings  tumbling  to 
pieces,  the  terrapin  ponds  still  there,  but  with  not 
only  their  occupants  departed,  but  the  very  fences 
falling  down  or  being  used  for  firewood.  The  specu- 
lation had  failed,  because  even  there,  in  the  very 
home  and  abiding  place  of  the  terrapin,  he  had 
grown  so  scarce  that  a  sufficient  business  could  not 
be  done  to  make  it  profitable.  Terrapins  are  taken, 
as  Mr.  Green  soon  found  out,  in  bag  or  trawl  nets, 
that  are  drawn  along  the  bottom,  as  we  at  the  North 
use  a  dredge  for  oysters.  On  the  front  of  the  net, 
which  hangs  loosely  behind,  is  an  iron  bar,  of  suf- 
ficient weight  to  lie  close  to  the  bottom  as  it  is  being 
dragged;  this  slips  under  the  terrapins,  which  are 
thus  carried  into  the  net.  We  readily  understood 
that  they  were  not  plenty,  when  we  were  informed 
that  "count"  terrapins,  that  is,  those  over  six 
inches  in  length,  bring  on  the  ground  one  dollar 
apiece. 

The  weather  had  become  very  cold  for  yachting. 
The  thermometer  fell  to  eighteen  degrees  daring 
the  night,  and  we  found  that  all  the  resources 
of  our  vessel  were  hardly  equal  to  keeping  us 
warm  in  our  berths.  Early  next  morning  we 
obtained  our  first  oysters.  We  had  brought  oyster 
tongs  with  us;    in  fact,  if  there    was    any  kind 


THE   INLAIfD   PASSAGE.  35 

of  rod,  reel,  line,  net,  hook,  sinker,  swivel,  or 
fishing  device  whatever  that  we  had  not  brought 
I  should  like  to  be  informed  of  it.  When  Mr. 
Green  joined  the  yacht  and  produced  from  the  bow- 
els of  an  immense  trunk,  a  luxury  that  in  itself  I 
never  knew  him  to  allow  himself  before,  and  which 
was  in  our  way  the  entire  journey  till  we  got  rid  of 
it  at  Jacksonville,  much  to  its  owner's  chagrin — first 
two  breech-loaders,  tlien  a  rifle  and  a  hundred  Aveight 
of  ammunition,  then  an  immense  bundle  of  sporting 
rods,  next  a  box  of  lines  and  reels,  and  finally  an  over- 
grown scrapbook  filled  with  all  manner  of  gangs  of 
hooks,  the  doctor  and  myself  felt  that  the  sporting 
interest  would  not  suffer.  As  I  had  sent  him  word 
that  he  need  bring  neither  guns,  fishing  tackle,  nor 
ammunition,  it  was  evident  that  he  intended  we 
should  not  fall  short,  But  now  when  our  men  be- 
gan tonging  up  the  delicious  bivalves  which  we  liad  • 
not  seen  for  so  many  days,  on  account  of  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  water,  we  felt  thankful  for  one  of  our 
precautions.  Hero  let  me  warn  the  reader  that  he  be 
sure  to  bring  oyster  tongs  witli  him.  lie  will  find 
it  difficult  to  get  them  in  the  South  at  a]l,and  if  he  can 
they  will  be  much  heavier  and  more  awkward  than 
those  in  nse  with  us.  Just  south  of  the  opening  in- 
to our  night's  harbor,  and  in  the  main  channel,  we 
found  a  man  at  work  oystering  and  we  joined  him 
promptly,  confident  that  where  there  was  enough  for 
one  there  was  in  this  matter  enough  for  two.  Either 
the  oysters  off  the  lower  end  of  Roanoke  Island  are 
very  delicious,  or  else  our  appetites  were  sharp  from 


36  THE   INLAND    PASSAGE. 

abstinence.  For  as  fast  as  our  man  Charley  brought 
them  to  the  surface  and  deposited  them  on  the  deck, 
we  opened  them  with  a  skill  founded  on  some  expe- 
rience and  more  desire,  and  devoured  them  with 
hearty  gusto. 

We  loaded  up  with  oysters  and  then  started  once 
more  on  our  course,  but  the  wind  fell  off  and  we 
anchored  in  Stumpy  Point  Bay,  some  thirty  miles  to 
the  southward  and  on  the  main  shore.  At  our  last 
stopping  place  a  sick  man  had  come  aboard  for  ad- 
vice, and  here  we  not  only  found  two  others,  but  were 
also  informed  that  their  motlier  was  at  the  point  of 
death.  There  seemed  to  be  a  sublime  faith  in  these 
people  that  all  Northerners  must  know  something  of 
medicine,  as  none  of  them  had  a  suspicion  of  our 
having  a  physician  in  the  party.  Indeed  they  came 
for  "a  drawing  of  tea"  as  tiiey  called  it,  rather  than 
for  any  special  medicine,  for  they  appeared  to  consider 
sickness  the  natural  condition  of  man,  as  among 
those  terribly  unhealthy  swamps  and  low  lands  it 
probably  is.  After  that  almost  everywhere  we  went 
we  were  asked  for  "a  drawing  of  tea"  for  some 
sick  person. 

Their  ailments  were  evidently  only  too  well  found- 
ed, and  as  the  people  were  clearly  not  a  complaining 
set,  we  were  sorry  that  we  had  not  brought  more  of 
the  coveted  article  Avith  us.  The  whites  of  this  coast 
looked  weazened,  thin,  yellow,  and  cadaverous,  as  if 
they  had  a  perpetual  conflict  with  fever  in  which 
they  invariably  got  the  worst  of  it.  They  had  the 
shadow  of  death  in  tlteir  faces.     In  their  motions 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  37 

they  exhibited  a  langour  wliich  strangers  are  apt  to 
attribute  to  laziness,  but  which  I  believe  due  to  dis- 
ease. Let  a  man  once  take  the  southern  fever,  and 
it  will  be  many  months  if  not  years  before  he  feels 
like  himself  again.  Our  latest  patients  were  fisher- 
men, and  to  Mr.  Green's  insatiable  inquiries  they  ex- 
plained that  they  caught  in  their  seasons  shad  ; 
rock,  our  striped  bass;  trout,  our  weakfish;  hickory 
shad,  white  perch,  mullet,  spot,  round-nosed  shad 
and  flat  backs,  though  what  these  latter  were  was 
more  than  we  could  guess.  They  said  that  the  fishing 
had  fallen  off  greatly  of  late  years,  but  that  the  prices 
had  increased  and  that  now  they  were  paid  seventy 
five  cents  for  a  roe  shad,  and  thirty  for  bucks. 

Next  day  was  clear  and  cold,  with  a  strong  and  favor- 
able wind  from  the  north-west,  so  much  so  that  even 
the  imperturbable  doctor  was  impatient  to  be  off,  but 
Mr.  Green  had  an  idea,  and  when  he  has  anything  of 
that  sort  he  is  the  last  man  to  part  with  it  without 
full  fruition.  To  our  proposal  to  get  under  weigh 
early  ho  replied. 

*' Beyond  this  you  tell  me  that  we  have  a  groat 
stretch  of  open  water  ?" 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "the  entire  Pamlico  Sound, 
which  must  be  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long  and 
fifty  broad,  so  the  more  advantage  we  take  of  tliis 
favorable  wind  the  better." 

"  Well,  you  expect  to  find  ducks,  don't  you,  on 
the  route  ?"  he  inquired  by  way  of  response. 

"I  hardly  know  what  we  shall  find,"  I  answered, 
"but  I  should  like  to  find  ducks,  and  have  heard 


3G5125 


38  THE   INLAND    PASSAGE. 

that  there  are  innumerable  brant  on  the  ocean 
side." 

*'That  is  just  as  I  supposed/' was  Mr.  Green's 
reply,  as  he  took  up  the  axe  that  lay  on  the  deck, 
*'and  as  you  have  no  battery,  how  do  you  expect 
to  kill  them  ?" 

The  doctor  and  I  had  nothing  to  reply,  and  Mr. 
Green,  carrying  the  axe,  called  one  of  the  men  and 
rowed  away  to  the  shore  in  triumph.  During  his 
absence  the  doctor,  who  is  a  cordon  hleu,  prepared 
the  turkey  that  we  had  purchased  at  Kitty  Hawk 
for  cooking,  by  stuffing  it  with  the  oysters  that 
we  had  tonged  at  Roanoke  Island.  By  the  time 
this  culinary  feat  was  accomplished,  our  master  of 
fish  culture  had  returned.  He  had  cut  a  dozen 
stakes  about  eight  feet  long,  which  were  to  be  used 
to  improvise  a  blind,  by  thrusting  them  into  the 
bottom  and  tying  strings  around  from  one  to  the 
other,  and  hanging  reeds  or  grass  tied  in  bunches 
over  the  strings. 

These  precautionary  measures  being  taken,  we  got 
under-way.  The  wind  had  increased  to  almost  a 
gale,  and  our  brave  little  vessel  fairly  leaped  before 
it  towards  the  South  like  a  race  horse.  Quite  a  sea 
had  made  in  the  broad  expanse  of  Pamlico  Sound, 
which  can  be  stormy  enough  when  in  the  humor, 
and  the  waves  rolled  after  us  in  vain  and  vindictive 
fury.  There  were  two  large  steamers  going  South, 
and  we  held  them  for  some  time,  and  had  hopes  of 
keeping  up  with  them,  but  they  slowly  drew  ahead, 
and  left  us  alone  in  the  waste  of  tumultuous  waves. 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  41 

We  made  one  of  our  best  runs  that  day.  The 
weather  was  too  perfect  for  us  to  stop  for  fish  or 
birds,  although  we  saw  clouds  of  the  latter  rising 
up  in  the  distance  from  the  disturbed  surface  of  the 
Sound.  We  ought  to  have  gone  to  Hatteras,  or 
Roanoke  Inlet,  where  we  had  been  assured  by  the 
residents  the  brant  shooting  was  magnificent,  but 
we  could  not  lose  such  unusually  favorable  Aveather, 
and  sped  on  and  on  through  the  seething  waves, 
hour  after  hour,  till  when  the  sun  was  still  quite 
Avell  above  the  horizon,  we  ran  through  the  narrow 
channel  into  the  peaceful  waters  of  Core  Sound. 

What  a  change  came  over  the  spirit  of  our  sail- 
ing, from  the  boisterous  violence  and  rough  seas 
that  beat  our  vessel's  sides  turbulently,  or  followed 
us  fiercely  to  the  scarcely  ruffled  bosom  of  the  small 
and  shallow  bay,  only  a  few  miles  wide,  and  shut  in 
on  all  sides  by  the  land.  We  managed  to  reach 
Lewis's  Creek  before  sunset,  where  we  saw  a  number 
of  working  boats  going  to  find  security  for  the 
night.  When  we  had  anchored  among  them,  the 
fishermen  told  us  that  tliere  were  the  usual  kinds 
of  salt  water  fish,  although  there  was  no  tide  in 
Core  Sound  other  than  that  made  by  the  wind. 
They  said  there  was  good  oystering  off  the  point  of 
Lewis's  Creek,  and  next  day  proved  their  words.  lb 
was  a  wild  spot.  The  only  mark  of  human  liabita- 
tion  being  an  old  wind-mill,  which  stood  on  the 
point.  The  weird  effect  was  further  heightened 
during  the  darkness  by  the  lighting  of  fires  by  the 
fishermen,  who  had  no  sleeping  accommodations 


43  THE   INLAND   PASSAGE. 

on  their  boats,  and  who  went  ashore  for  the 
purpose. 

"Would  you  like  to  kill  an  English  snipe?" 
called  out  Seth  Green  to  me  next  morning  from  the 
shore,  whither  he  had  already  gone  with  our  boat- 
man, Charley.  I  had  been  busy,  or  perhaps,  if  the 
truth  must  be  confessed,  sleepy,  and  had  just  come 
on  deck. 

"  Of  course,"  was  my  instantaneous  reply,  the  idea 
of  any  one  not  wanting  to  kill  an  English  snipe  being 
too  ridiculous  to  entertain  for  a  moment. 

"  Then  get  your  gun,  and  Charley  will  come  for 
you  in  the  boat." 

In  five  minutes  the  doctor  and  I  were  both  ashore, 
and  in  less  than  as  many  more  we  had  put  up  and 
bagged  our  first  bird.  It  seemed  that  Charley,  who, 
as  I  have  already  stated,  was  an  old  gunner,  had 
heard  the  bird  as  he  flew  over,  and  had  seen  him 
alight.  He  did  not  know  that  there  were  more  than 
one,  but  we  found  quite  a  flight  of  them.  Tlie  spot 
was  not  large,  but  it  wa,s  evidently  a  favorite  one. 
We  had  no  dogs  and  went  floundering  about  through 
the  mud,  but  at  every  few  steps  a  bird  was  flushed, 
and  his  appearance  commemorated  by  the  report  of 
a  gun  or  the  cheery  cry  of,  "  mark  !"  It  was  a  deli- 
cious episode  in  our  trip,  for  no  sport  is  more  appre- 
ciated by  the  true  sportsman  than  the  killing  of  our 
gamest  of  all  game  birds,  the  stylish  English  snipe. 
In  two  hours  we  had  bagged  thirty-one.  In  fact 
we  had  killed  them  all,  for  if  we  did  not  get  them  at 
the  first  rise,  it  was  easy  to  follow  them  up,  as  they 


THE  INLA}S"D  PASSAGE.  43 

seemed  so  fond  of  the  place  that  they  would  not 
leave  it.  After  we  had  gone  on  board  with  our 
trophies,  and  while  we  were  getting  under  way,  we 
saw  new  whisps  arriving  to  take  the  place  of  those 
which  we  had  killed,  as  if  they  were  informed  of  the 
event,  and  were  anxious  to  profit  by  the  disasters  of 
their  friends,  even  at  the  peril  of  their  own  lives. 

Core  Sound  was  full  of  wild  fowl,  of  which  many 
were  red-heads  and  canvas-backs,  and  had  we  had 
a  battery,  we  could  have  killed  unlimited  numbers. 
We  had  to  do  as  well  as  we  could  with  Mr.  Green's 
substitute,  which,  although  better  than  nothing,  was 
not  at  all  equal  to  the  proper  machine.  Neither  had 
we  time  to  wait,  Florida  was  a  long  way  off,  and 
well  we  knew  that,  once  there,  we  should  have  all 
the  game  we  wanted  ;  so  as  Ave  struck  another  favor- 
able wind,  we  did  not  stop  at  Harker's  Island,  where 
the  best  shooting  is  to  be  had,  but  ran  on  to  Beau- 
fort. We  had  actually  dawdled  not  more  than  three 
or  four  unnecessary  days  in  Core  Sound,  before  going 
into  the  narrow,  shallow  and  difficult  harbor  of  what 
was  once  the  watering  place  as  well  as  business  mart 
of  that  section  of  the  Southern  country.  The  port 
dues  are  heavy,  and  I  would  advise  the  yachtsman 
to  avoid  it  altogether  and  go,  if  he  needs  must  go 
into  any  port,  directly  to  Morehead  City,  which  is 
rapidly  appropriating  the  trade  and  fashion  of  its 
older  rival. 

There  is  a  large  business  in  oysters  at  Beaufort, 
and  the  civilization  of  moss-bunker  factories  has 
been  introduced  from  the  North.     Fish  were  scarce. 


44  THE  INLAND   PASSAGE. 

but  we  purchased  some  very  fair  beef  at  yery  mod- 
erate prices,  eighteen  pounds  of  porterhouse  being 
sold  to  us  for  eight  cents  a  pound.  The  town  is  a 
pretty  one,  and  the  next  day  being  Sunday,  we  went 
to  the  colored  Methodist  Church,  a  thing  that  no 
visitor  must  fail  to  do,  and  hoard  some  very  charm- 
ing singing.  This  was  our  first  experience  of  the 
quaint,  wild,  and  slightly  barbaric  harmony  of  the 
voices  of  the  negroes,  of  which  we  were  to  hear  a 
great  deal  before  our  return  to  the  North. 

Beaufort  vv'as  the  first  thoroughly  Southern  town, 
with  its  fig  trees  in  the  open  air,  the  Yupawn,  or 
native  Tea  tree,  the  red-berried  evergreen  bushes, 
whose  name  we  could  not  ascertain,  and  its  genial 
air  of  Southern  indolent  happiness,  which  we  had 
visited.  We  were  sorry  to  leave  it,  and  had  Florida 
been  only  placed  where  it  ought  to  have  been,  five 
hundred  miles  nearer  New  York,  we  should  have 
stayed  days  if  not  weeks  longer.  But  the  time  was 
flitting  by,  and  still  we  were  a  thousand  miles  from 
our  destination.  So  without  more  ado  we  put  to  sea. 
From  Beaufort  to  Cape  Fear  there  is  such  a  bend 
in  the  coast  that  it  is  laid  down  on  the  charts  as  a 
bay.  Being  shielded  from  the  terrible  northeasters 
of  the  Atlantic,  which  reach  no  farther  than  Cape 
Hatteras,  it  is  as  safe  for  a  small  vessel  as  any  part 
of  the  boisterous  ocean  ever  can  be.  But  I  was  glad 
when  Heartsease  got  through  the  voyage.  With 
care  there  is  no  danger,  and  the  trip  is  not  half  as 
perilous  a  one  as  we  are  accustomed  to  take  at  the 
North,  where  we  are  at  home,  without  a  thought  of 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  45 

fear.  There  are  numerous  and  very  practicable  in- 
lets, and  the  yachtsman  should  make  sure  of  getting 
into  one  of  them  at  night.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  the  stretch  beyond  Cape  Fear.  Treat  the  mighty 
ocean  with  the  respect  it  deserves,  and  it  will  never 
illtreat  you.  On  the  charts  the  northern  or  old  inlet 
of  Cape  Fear  is  laid  down  as  closed  by  a  bulkhead. 
This  it  is  no  doubt  intended  to  be,  to  the  discomfort 
of  small  sailing  craft,  but  at  the  time  I  speak  of  it 
was  open.  Possibly  it  was  only  opened  temporarily 
by  a  storm,  and  may  be  shut  again  now. 

There  were  some  birds  in  Bull's  Bay,  but  not 
enough  to  induce  us  to  pause,  as  we  were  anxious  to 
get  the  yacht  to  Charleston  as  quickly  as  we  could. 
So  we  made  the  most  of  the  wind  and  the  tide,  and 
anchored  over  against  Fort  Moultrie  early  in  Jan- 
uary. Does  any  of  my  readers  care  to  hear  how  we 
enjoyed  Christmas  Day  !  If  so,  I  will  in  that  con- 
nection, and  with  the  happy  sacredness  of  that  day 
in  my  mind,  make  a  confession.  In  one  of  the  open- 
ing paragraphs  of  this  history  I  mentioned  the  fact 
that  we  had  a  stove,  a  cooking  as  well  as  heating 
stove,  in  the  main  saloon.  I  did  not,  however, 
acknowledge  what  I  am  now  about  to  make  public, 
that  every  one  of  the  party,  from  the  state-rooms  to 
the  forecastle,  was  a  cook,  and  in  the  opinion  of  him 
or  herself  a  most  sweet  and  dainty  chef  de  cuisine. 
Aware  of  this  divine  afflatus,  they  were  none  of  them 
entirely  content  unless  they  were  exhibiting  their 
skill,  so  both  stoves  were  run  to  their  utmost 
capacity,  and  as  the  appetites  of  the  party  were  good 


46  THE  INLAND   PASSAGE. 

and  daily  growing  better,  a  vast  consumption  of  pro- 
visions was  continually  taking  place.  While  each 
was  at  heart  assured  that  their  own  productions 
were  a  little  the  best,  and  tempted  the  others  to 
admission  of  the  fact  by  the  offering  of  special  deli- 
cacies where  delicacies  were  not  needed,  there  was 
no  one  mean  enough  to. repudiate  the  work  of  a 
brother  or  sister  artist,  even  if  it  were  ruined  in  the 
preparation  or  burned  to  tastleseness  in  the  cooking. 
Christmas  was  by  common  consent  set  apart  as  the 
day  on  which  each  and  every  member  of  our  briny 
household  should  cook  whatever  they  found  best  in 
their  own  eyes.  The  store-room  was  thrown  open 
and  free  liberty  of  selection  was  given  to  all. 

To  the  male  kitchen  genius  the  most  difficult 
article  to  prepare,  is  the  most  necessary  one,  bread. 
Within  the  realms  of  civilization  the  staff  of  life 
seems,  as  it  were,  to  grow  of  itself.  It  can  be  found 
on  every  corner ;  stares  in  fat  complacency  at  you 
from  the  shop  windows  on  every  block ;  there  is 
never  any  dearth  of  bread  so  long  as  there  is  a  penny 
to  purchase  it ;  delicate-minded  tramps  scorn  it,  and 
in  every  well-regulated  household  enough  of  it  is 
thrown  into  the  waste  pail  to  feed  another  house- 
hold of  equal  numbers.  But  at  sea  this  is  different, 
and  when  man,  though  he  pride  himself  on  the  bril- 
liant hue  of  his  blue  ribbon,  is  required  to  make 
good  the  deficiency,  lie  is  apt  to  come  to  grief.  So 
the  queen  of  our  marine  family  announced  that  she 
would  make  a  big  batch  of  bread  for  that  special 
festivity. 


THE  IlTLAlfD  PASSAGE.  47 

While  no  one  could  or  would  dare  to  dispute  the 
ability  of  that  lady  to  do  well  whatever  she  under- 
took, yet  in  the  matter  of  bread  making  her  methods 
were  peculiar.  In  the  first  place  she  liad  to  have 
the  cabin  to  herself,  and  as  bread  has  to  be  set  over 
night,  we  were  all  turned  out  on  Christmas  eve  and 
left  to  shiver  on  the  deck.  Then  she  has  a  way  of 
strewing  flour  about  in  the  operation  till  she  covers 
the  tables,  the  chairs,  the  floor,  even  the  sides  of  the 
saloon  and  sometimes  the  cabin  roof  with  dough  or 
its  ingredients.  It  was  not  five  minutes  after  we 
were  allowed  to  return,  the  "  rising"  having  been 
made  an  accomplished  fact  and  set  away  in  a  corner, 
before  our  hands,  our  clothes,  our  faces,  and  our  very 
hair  were  covered  with  incipient  bread.  But  worse 
even  than  that  was  the  injunction  that  was  solemnly 
laid  on  us  under  no  circumstances  to  presume  to  touch 
the  *' rising"  which  had  been  deposited  directly  over 
the  stove,  and  without  moving  which  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  get  breakfast.  As  our  lady  was  a  late 
riser  herself,  and  Avould  never  stir  till  slie  was  assured 
through  the  state-room  door  that  her  breakfast  was 
ready  and  on  the  table,  the  question  of  having  that 
important  meal  was  as  complicated  as  getting  the 
fox,  the  goose,  and  the  com  over  the  stream. 

One  of  the  associate  lady  patronesses  devoted  her- 
self to  making  biscuits,  as  the  bread  would  not  be 
cooked  till  dinner  time.  I  evolved  pancakes,  the 
doctor  compounded  a  hash,  and  altogether  we  began 
Christmas  with  such  abreakfastasisrarely  met  with 
on  the  desert  surface  of  the  inland  water  communi- 


48  THE  INLAND   PASSAGE. 

cation  between  the  North  and  the  South.  Seth 
Green  liad  reserved  himself  till,  as  he  politely  re- 
marked, "  the  rest  of  you  should  be  through  your 
mussing,"  then  he  began.  But  his  efforts  did  not 
last  long  unmolested,  he  had  split  open  a  duck,  a  fat 
one  had  been  especially  selected  for  so  unusual  an 
occasion.  This  he  had  laid  between  the  wires  of  an 
oyster  broiler,  then  he  opened  the  entire  top  of  the 
stove  and  proceeded  to  broil  it  upon  the  hot  coals. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  remark  that  such  a  proceeding 
evolved  an  amount  of  smoke  that  filled  the  cabin  full 
in  a  moment.  The  rest  of  the  party  were  busy  at 
their  breakfeast  enjoying  the  delicacies  which  had 
already  been  prepared,  when  they  were  fairly  suffo- 
cated by  this  torrent  of  smoke  and  began  to  realize 
as  never  before  the  sad  fate  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Pompeii. 

*'  Seth"  I  exclaimed,  "  can't  you  keep  part  of  the 
stove  covered  so  as  to  let  some  of  the  smoke  go  up 
the  chimney  ?" 

"Mr.  Grreen,  Mr.  Green,"  came  from  the  ladies 
all  at  once,  "please  don't  smother  us." 

"  Smoke  and  the  gas  of  cooking"  gasped  the  doc- 
tor, his  philosophy  almost  dissipated  in  it  "  arc  in- 
jurious at  meal  times,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  being 
asphyxiated." 

"For  heaven's  sake,"  I  implored,  for  by  this 
time  the  condition  of  the  atmosphere  was  unbear- 
able, "do  throw  that  duck  out  of  the  companion 
way." 

"Oh  Mr.    Green   do  stop  cooking  that  horrid 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  49 

duck,"  exclaimed  our  princess,  "  if  you  do  not  I  shall 
have  to  leave  the  table." 

That  last  threat  was  too  much,  Seth  could  not 
bear  to  be  ranked  as  an  obstructive  when  he  was  ac- 
complishing a  culinary  triumph  which  was  to  delight 
our  gustatory  nerves  and  establish  forever  his  repu- 
tation as  a  cookist.  He  turned  a  reproachful  face 
towards  the  party  without  showing  the  slightest  sign 
of  discontinuing  his  fell  work,  and  with  an  air  of 
bitter  rebuke  retorted  upon  us. 

"  This  is  the  first  time  that  I  have  done  any  cook- 
ing. All  the  rest  of  you  have  cooked  as  much  as 
you  liked,  I  have  stood  to  one  side  and  got  out  of 
the  way  and  never  had  a  chance,  and  now  the  very 
instant  I  cook  a  little  duck  you  all  make  a  fuss.  I 
don't  think  it's  fair.  I  did  want  a  piece  of  duck  for 
my  breakfast  and  I  picked  out  the  smallest  one  for 
fear  somebody  would  think  I  was  greedy,  and  now 
you  ask  me  to  throw  it  overboard  ;  it  is  almost  done, 
and  if  you  will  only  have  patience  for  a  few  moments 
I  will  be  through." 

His  manner  was  more  impressive  than  even  his 
words,  and  no  one  had  the  heart  to  reply.  We  tearfully 
held  our  napkins  to  our  noses  to  keep  out  the  smoke 
and  smell  as  well  as  we  could,  we  coughed  and  choked, 
but  we  allowed  him  to  finish.  Unfortunately  Seth 
believes  in  cooking  a  duck  to  a  chip,  and  hence  he 
was  occupied  longer  than  he  had  promised,  but 
he  was  through  at  last,  and  then  not  only  was  he 
happy  in  the  vindication  of  his  culinary  knowledge, 
but  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  bringing  our  ingrati- 


50  THE  INLAI^D   PASSAGE. 

tude  home  to  us,  by  pressing  on  us  choice  morsels, 
which  he  offered  in  a  delicate  and  forgiving  way 
upon  his  own  fork,  and  which  we  were  fain  to  accept 
and  swallow  in  the  same  fashion  under  pain  of  again 
offending  him. 

Nevertheless  the  duck  was  good,  the  biscuits  were 
good,  the  pancakes  were  excellent,  the  hash  was 
superb,  every  article  of  diet  all  day  long,  from  the 
gorgeous  breakfast  to  the  gorging  at  supper,  when 
appetite  had  been  more  than  sated,  were  unsurpass- 
able and  we  had  a  Christmas  long  to  be  remembered. 

We  remained  in  Charleston  for  two  weeks.  If  the 
reader  asks  what  we  were  doing  all  that  time,  let 
him  go  to  the  old  time  Queen  City  of  the  South,  now 
apparently  being  displaced  by  her  enterprising  rival. 
Savannah;  let  him  roam  about  her  quaint  streets  and 
mingle  with  her  hospitable  people,  and  he  will  find 
out.  There  is  much  of  physical  and  human  interest 
in  and  around  Charleston,  from  the  live  oaks  on  her 
Battery  or  White  Point  Park,  and  the  moss  covered 
trees  of  her  famous  Magnolia  cemetery,  to  the  oys- 
ters growing  in  thousands  around  her  sea-wall,  and 
which  would  furnish  unlimited  sustenance  to  her 
citizens  were  they  not  oyster  surfeited.  We  stood 
and  gawked  at  the  tropical  plants  in  full  foliage,  and 
at  the  orange  trees  in  full  bearing,  in  the  house  door 
gardens  till  the  residents,  unacquainted  though  they 
were  personally  with  us,  took  pity  and  gave  us  the 
names  of  the  plants  and  told  us  that  the  oranges 
were  sour,  none  of  the  sweet  varieties  being  able  to 
grow  so  far  north.-    We  loafed  around  the  market 


THE  INLAND  PASSAGE.  51 

which  wag  an  ever  renewing  delight  to  Mr.  Green, 
who,  before  we  left,  had  established  a  personal  bond 
of  admiration  and  friendship  from  every  darkey 
fisherman  who  brought  his  cargo  there.  We  fed  the 
turkey  buzzards,  we  ascertained  that  the  fish  about 
Charleston  were,  in  their  various  seasons,  mostly 
sheepshead,  bass,  the  drum  of  North  Carolina  and 
channel  bass  of  Florida,  Corvina  Ocellata;  sea-bass, 
here  called  black  fish,  which  are  mostly  caught  by 
the  negroes  outside  the  bar  in  their  open  boats;  sea 
trout,  our  weak  fish;  mullet,  which  they  told  us  were 
becoming  scarce;  blue  fish  which  are  never  caught  in 
winter,  and  which  also  were  diminishing  in  numbers; 
black  drum;  big  porgees  of  four  or  five  pounds;  both 
the  salt  and  fresh  water  varieties  of  cat  fish,  which 
were  very  abundant;  whiting,  our  king  fish,  and  their 
finest  table  delicacy;  angel  fish,  crevalle;  fresh  water 
trout,  our  black  bass,  and  shad,  which  begin  their 
run  in  January. 

All  around  Charleston  the  negroes  seem  to  be  in 
possession  of  the  country.  They  are  pleasant,  polite, 
and  lazy,  arc  content  to  do  the  old  slave  tasks  even 
when  working  for  themselves,  and  will  never  consent 
to  do  more  when  working  for  others  at  any  price  of 
remuneration,  as  though  if  they  worked  too  hard  the 
work  would  be  exhausted  and  there  would  soon  be 
nothing  more  to  do.  They  are  paid  fifty  cents  a 
cord,  for  instance,  to  cut  wood,  and  they  stop 
when  they  have  cut  one  cord,  although  they  are 
through  at  one  o'clock.  They  look  more  healthy 
and  happy  than  the  whites  throughout  the  entire 


52  THE  INLAND   PASSAGE. 

South,  which  is  a  probably  a  climacteric  result,  but 
pregnant  of  many  possibilities  for  the  future.  It  is 
they  who  supply  Charleston  market,  it  is  they  who 
do  the  fishing  and  the  Avork,  and  more  important 
still,  it  is  they  who  make  all  the  Sea-island  cotton 
and  bring  it  to  the  city  in  their  boats  from  the  shores 
where  inevitable  death  lurks  for  the  superior  race. 
That  most  valuable  of  Southern  products,  tlie  old 
time  king  of  the  world,  arrives  in  driblets,  here  a 
pound  and  there  a  pound.  It  is  badly  baled,  but  it 
comes  and  in  good  order  too.  To  day  the  negro 
controls  the  whilom  king,  which  is  indeed  putting 
the  bottom  rail  on  top. 

The  Charleston  "Eagles,"  as  he  called  the  buz- 
zards, were  a  source  of  infinite  complacency  to  the 
philosophical  soul  of  the  doctor.  He  would 
watch  tliem  by  the  hour,  sympathizing  with  their 
metaphysically  thoughtful  ways.  He  would  study 
their  awkward  and  ungainly  motions  on  the  ground, 
and  wonder  that  anything  so  ungraceful  on  foot 
could  be  so  exquisitely  elegant  and  gi-aceful  in  the 
air  when  on  the  wing.  These  queer  creatures  stay 
around  the  market,  and  although  the  law  forbids 
their  being  fed,  as  it  is  found  with  them  as  with 
human  buzzards  that  necessity  is  the  mother  of  scav- 
engering,  your  butcher  is  always  ready  to  throw 
them  a  surreptitious  piece  of  meat  for  your  amuse- 
ment. They  are  tlie  only  street  cleaners,  and  if  they 
got  their  dinners  gratuituosly  they  might  cease  their 
useful  public  labors. 

On  January  tenth  we  tore  ourselves  away  from 


THE  Il^LAND  PASSAGE.  53 

Charleston,  bidding  good  bye  to  its  pretty  streets, 
its  tall  spires,  its  beautiful  gardens,  and  its  j^leasant 
inhabitants,  among  whom  we  must  especially  men- 
tion Commander  Merril  Miller  of  the  Light-house 
service,  who  was  very  kind  in  furnishing  us  charts 
and  assisting  us  in  many  ways.  We  bid  a  last  farewell 
to  Forts  Sumter  and  Moultrie,  and  all  the  historic 
memories  which  are  entwined  with  those  names  ;  to 
Sullivan's  Island,  the  Coney  Island  of  Charleston,  to 
the  Three  Sisters,  three  palmettos  which  guard  the 
gate  where  once  the  confederate  soldier  stood  sentry, 
and  to  the  tomb  of  Oceola  close  by,  to  the  buzzards 
and  the  beauties  of  the  city,  catching  a  last  glimpse  of 
White  Point  Park  to  which  we  waived  a  tender  adieu. 
We  headed  our  course  towards  the  creek  which  has  re- 
ceived the  euphuistic  appellation  of  "  Wappoo  Cut." 
We  carried  away  from  Charleston  this  one  valuable 
piece  of  information:  to  make  "  Hop-in- John,"  boil 
one  quart  of  cow  peas  (a  sort  of  small  bean),  and  one 
pound  of  bacon  till  thoroughly  cooked,  then  put  in 
two  quarts  of  rice,  boil  for  about  half  an  hour  longer 
and  until  well  done,  then  add  salt  and  pepper.  This 
recipe  came  from  the  colored  chef  of  the  Charleston 
hotel  and  must  be  correct.  Hence  hereafter  no  man 
or  woman  can  claim  to  be  so  ignorant  that  they  can- 
not cook  "Hop-in-John." 

Beyond  Charleston  we  had  our  first  disagreeable 
adventure ;  it  occurred  Avlien  wo  were  running 
through  Wappoo  Cut.  AYe  had  been  offered  a 
volunteer  tow  by  a  small  steam  tug  that  we 
met  there,  but  had  hardly  hitched  fast  to  her. 


54  THE  INLAND   PASSAGE. 

before  a  passenger  steamer  came  in  sight  going  the 
same  way.  This  vessel  gradually  gained  on  us,  and 
when  she  was  close  at  hand,  finding  there  was  no 
room  to  pass,  as  the  cut  is  extremely  narrow  near 
its  outlet  where  we  were,  ran  deliberately  between 
our  yacht  and  the  tug,  cutting  our  stern  line  away 
and  nearly  sinking  us.  This  was  an  occasion,  in 
which  we  should  have  been  justified  in  shooting  the 
pilot  at  his  post,  but  we  were  in  a  foreign  country, 
so  to  speak,  and  all  we  did  was  to  cast  loose  our 
lines  and  get  clear  the  best  we  could.  The  whole 
performance  was  the  less  excusable,  because  the 
wheelman  saw  there  were  ladies  on  board  our  boat, 
and  that  we  were  strangers.  As  this  was  the  only 
piece  of  discourtesy  shown  us  on  our  entire  trip,  I 
give  the  name  of  the  vessel  which  was  guilty  of  it, 
and  warn  all  passengers  to  shun  the  ''Pilot  Boy." 
It  was  by  good  luck  alone  that  we  escaped,  for 
hardly  had  we  got  clear,  than  the  two  steamers 
jammed  together,  filling  the  cut  from  side  to  side, 
so  that  both  were  aground,  and  we  heard  the  crash- 
ing of  timbers  and  saw  them  fast  there  for  nearly 
an  hour.  Had  the  "Heartsease"  been  betAveen 
them,  she  would  have  been  crushed.  If  any  of  our 
readers  go  South  by  the  inland  passage  from  Charles- 
ton, and  it  is  a  j)leasant  way  of  travel,  Ave  hope  they 
will  in  a  measure  revenge  our  wrongs,  and  give  a 
brutal  captain  a  lesson  in  decent  behavior,  by  refus- 
ing to  patronize  the  "  Pilot  Boy." 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  the  coun- 
try we  were  now  passing  was  the  rice  fields.     These 


THE  INLAND   PASSAGE.  65 

were  separated  by  dykes,  and  being  nearly  rectangu- 
lar, gave  a  novel  appearance  to  the  low,  marshy 
land.  Had  we  known  where  to  go,  we  could  prob- 
ably have  had  good  English  snipe  shooting.  But 
we  did  not  stop  to  give  Mr.  Green  a  chance  to  inter- 
view any  one  to  find  out.  "We,  however,  saw  num- 
berless flocks  of  bay  snipe  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
South  Edisto,  where  the  wind  left  us  one  night,  and 
where  Mr.  Green  killed  a  couple  of  dozen.  On  the 
following  day,  that  gentleman  was  so  pleased  with 
the  performance  of  the  yacht  in  crossing  St.  Helena 
Sound  in  a  squall,  that  he  insisted  on  our  putting 
to  sea,  upon  the  ground  that  he  was  tired  of  such 
tame  sailing.  The  rest  of  the  party  were  nothing 
loth,  and  the  good  little  ship  was  soon  across  the 
bar  and  on  the  broad  bosom  of  old  Mother  Ocean, 
a  very  step-motlier  as  she  can  at  times  prove  herself 
to  be.  Unfortunately,  the  wind  died  out,  and  we 
were  becalmed  or  nearly  so,  and  crawled  slowly  past 
Fripp's  Inlet.  "When  we  were  just  outside  Port 
Eoyal  breakers,  which  we  reached  at  sundown,  there 
was  a  dead  calm,  and  we  drifted  backwards  till  we 
came  to  anchor  in  some  four  fathoms  of  water. 

Our  luck  did  not  desert  us,  and  before  dark  a 
nice  breeze  sprang  up,  which  carried  us  into  the 
harbor  and  up  to  the  mouth  of  Skull  Creek,  where 
we  passed  the  night  in  perfect  comfort.  Next 
morning  the  wind  came  out  strong  from  the  north- 
east, blowing  what  sailors  would  call  half  a  gale  of 
wind.  We  got  under  way  as  soon  as  we  could, 
and  were  soon  slashing  along  at  a  good  nine  miles 


56  THE  INLAKD   PASSAGE. 

y 

an  hour.  To  be  sure  of  our  speed,  I  proposed  to 
make  a  log  line,  Now  there  is  one  point  about  Seth 
Green,  which  is  if  possible  more  decidedly  developed 
than  another;  while  he  is  perfectly  satisfied  that 
anything  he  does  is  better  done  than  it  ever  was, 
ever  will,  or  ever  can  be,  by  any  one  else,  he  is 
equally  well  convinced  that  no  one  else  can  do  any- 
thing that  he  cannot,  so  when  I  made  this  pro- 
position he  simply  smiled  an  incredulous  smile. 
Under  the  force  of  that  implication,  a  log  line  had 
to  be  made,  and  made  to  work,  if  all  hands  had  to 
swear  that  she  was  making  ten  miles  an  hour  when 
she  was  only  making  two. 

It  was  an  original  species  of  a  log.  I  knew  the 
proj)er  divisions  for  a  fourteen  second  glass,  which 
was  the  one  we  had  on  board,  but  the  "chip"  had 
to  be  manufactured  out  of  the  side  of  an  old  cigar 
box.  I  never  shall  forget  Seth's  air  of  triumj)h, 
when  having  driven  in  the  pin  too  hard,  it  did  not 
slip  out  at  the  scientific  jerk  I  gave  when  "  time  " 
was  called  on  the  first  trial,  the  result  being  that 
the  line  parted  when  I  was  drawing  it  in.  This 
merely  encouraged  mo,  as  there  was  no  difficulty  in 
curing  that  defect,  the  only  danger  having  been 
that  my  improvised  "chip"  would  not  hold  well 
enough.  So  the  log  was  soon  in  working  order,  and 
informed  us  that  we  were  running  nine  miles  an 
hour,  and  repeated  the  figure  so  often,  that  the 
skeptic  was  convinced,  and  asked  me  to  join  him 
while  he  apologized. 

More  bay  snipe  of  all  sorts,  little  and  big,  but  no 


THE   INLAND   PASSAGE.  57 

time  to  shoot  them.  They  were  flying  about  by 
twos,  by  threes,  by  dozens,  by  hundreds,  but  the 
wind  was  too  fair  and  too  fresh  for  us  to  lose  it. 
We  might  be  punished  by  being  reduced  to  living 
on  canned  food,  which,  with  the  exception  of  corned 
beef,  vegetables,  and  preserves,  was  an  abomination 
to  the  entire  party,  and  we  did  not  stop  voluntarily, 
till  we  reached  Jekyl's  Creek.  In  reference  to 
Jekyl's  Creek,  there  is  an  entry  in  my  log,  that  is 
interesting  to  show  how  history  repeats  itself; 
'*  Oysters  Excellent. "  .  Half  a  century  befcfi-e. 
Professor  Bache,  who  made  the  very  charts  by 
which  we  were  sailing,  had  appreciated  the  excel- 
lence of  the  Jekyl  Creek  oysters,  and  had  them 
barrelled  and  sent  to  him  every  year.  I  doubt,  how- 
ever, whether  he  knew  how  to  cook  them,  at  least 
in  the  quantity  necessary  for  a  hungry  yachting 
party,  and  with  the  limited  cooking  appliances  of  a 
yacht. 

They  are  called  '*'  Raccoon  Oysters,"  for  the  reason 
that  the  raccoons  exhibited  so  much  human  nature 
in  first  appreciating  their  excellence,  and  in  getting 
at  their  contents.  They  exist  in  immense  mounds 
and  piles,  and  to  the  Northern  eye  seem  inex- 
haustible in  numbers,  covering  hundreds,  if  not 
thousands  of  square  miles,  and  averaging  three  feet 
thick.  They  line  the  shores  of  the  creeks  and 
water  courses  like  two  walls,  and  cling  to  branches 
of  bushes,  till  it  can  be  truly  said  of  them  that  they 
grow  on  trees.  Their  natural  position  is  with  their 
edges  upward,  and  these  are  nearly  as  sharp  as 


58  THE  IKLAND   PASSAGE. 

razors,  and  will  cut  one's  fingers  or  a  raccoon's  paw 
terribly,  unless  care  is  taken  in  handling  them. 
The  'coon's  plan  is  to  slyly  watch  at  low  tide,  when 
the  beds  are  bare,  till  the  unsuspicious  bivalve, 
longing  for  a  breath  of  the  pure  air  of  heaven  as  a 
change  from  the  insipid  diet  of  salt  water,  opens 
his  mouth,  when  he  quietly  creeps  forward  and 
drops  a  piece  of  shell  into  the  opening.  Mas- 
ter oyster  endeavors  to  resume  his  natural  close- 
ness of  mouth,  but  in  vain ;  the  early  closing  move- 
ment has  no  reference  to  him. 

My  plan  of  treatment  was  different,  although  the 
final  consequence  to  the  oyster  was  about  the  same. 
To  open  such  sharp-edged  creatures  in  the  ordinary 
way  would  soon  have  put  our  crew,  experienced  in 
oyster  opening  though  they  were,  liors  du  combat,  or 
to  state  it  in  English,  useless  for  rope-hauling. 
Even  to  separate  them  from  one  another  was  a  peril- 
ous job,  so  I  hit  upon  the  simple  plan  of  putting 
them  in  bunches  just  as  they  grew  into  the  ovens  of 
the  two  stoves.  There  I  let  them  roast  till  they 
opened  their  mouths  of  their  own  accord,  precisely 
as  they  had  done  for  the  raccoon,  but  under  a  little 
more  compulsion.  Cooked  in  this  way  they  were  so 
delicious  as  to  be  worth  a  trip  to  Jekyl's  Creek 
merely  to  get.  We  almost  lived  on  Jekyl  Creek 
oysters,  and  if  any  one  of  the  party  got  out  of  spirits, 
if  Mr.  Green  or  the  Doctor  wanted  to  propitiate  one 
of  the  queens  of  the  yacht,  and  the  Doctor  especially 
was  continually  engaged  in  that  way,  he  never  failed 
with  a  roasted  raccoon  oyster. 


CHAPTEE    II. 


IN   FLORTOA. 


And  now  we  are  at  Fernandina,  in  Florida  at  last. 
It  has  been  a  long  but  a  delightful  trip.  Of  all  the 
yachting  we  ever  did,  and  all  of  us  have  been  more 
or  less  followers  of  the  sea,  that  is,  the  inland  sea, 
since  childhood,  we  agreed  unanimously  this  sail 
from  New  York  to  the  South  by  the  inland  naviga- 
tion, was  the  most  delightful.  It  was  an  unbroken 
charm  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  with  no  more 
of  real  danger  about  it  than  would  have  been  en- 
countered on  Broadway  under  falling  bricks  and 
over  caving  vaults.  The  variety  of  scenery  was 
charming,  the  oddity  of  the  trees  and  plants  most 
interesting,  and  had  we  had  the  time  to  devote  to  it, 
the  fishing  and  shooting  would  have  been  superb. 

"We  had  passed  old  Fernandina,  and  came  to 
anchor  opposite  the  new  town  of  the  same  name, 
which  had  been  selected  on  account  of  its  having 
a  better  harbor  in  a  norther,  that  terror  of  south- 
em  latitudes  in  winter,  and  which  must  have  raked 
the  old  town  pretty  thoroughly.  Wc  had  to  go 
ashore  at  once.  The  tides  have  a  great  rise  and 
fall,  and  we  were  glad  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  boat 
club  landing  which  was  kindly  placed  at  our  dis- 
posal. We  found  Fernandina  a  quaint  old  town, 
with  a  mixture  of  newness  and  age  about  it.     North- 


60  I]Sr   FLORIDA. 

em  men  coming  for  their  health  had  brought  North- 
em  ways  and  extravagances ;  there  were  modern 
Tillas  and  trim  gardens,  but  the  old  mansions  were 
still  to  be  seen,  and  a  few  of  the  ancient  houses  built 
of  coquina,  a  combination  of  lime  and  shell.  No 
innovations  could  do  away  with  the  Southern  foliage, 
which  here  was  in  rank  growth  and  profusion.  We 
saw  orange  trees  in  full  bearing ;  palmetto  trees  in 
abundance,  from  the  scrub  saw-palmetto  to  the 
lordly  cabbage  palm,  and  cactuses  six  feet  high,  to- 
gether with  all  the  other  trees  and  plants  of  the 
warm  latitudes. 

There  is  a  fine  shell  road  to  the  sea  beach  that  is 
so  hard  that  the  wheels  of  a  wagon  scarcely  make  a 
mark  upon  it.  This  beach  is  the  favorite  promenade 
drive  of  natives  and  visitors  in  the  season  which  had 
not  come  quite  yet,  although  near  at  hand.  Boys 
in  the  streets  were  selling  sugar-canes  at  five  cents 
a  stick,  and  banana  bushes,  which  are  herbacious 
plants,  were  growing  in  many  of  the  gardens. 
Mr.  Green  proceeded  first  to  indulge  in  the  entire 
luxuries  of  a  barber's  establishment  that  he  found, 
and  then  to  interview  the  whole  population.  He 
came  to  the  yacht  in  time  for  supper,  laden  with 
information  and  two  fine  Southern  Aveakfish,  which 
are  much  better  to  eat  than  our  Northern  variety, 
and  which  are  locally  known  as  trout. 

The  fishing  around  Fernandina  is  exceedingly 
good,  and  we  found  the  colored  population,  which 
takes  to  fishing  as  naturally  as  the  bee  is  nautically 
supposed  to  take  to  a  tar  bucket,  everywhere,  pur- 


IN   FLORIDA.  61 

suing  the  finny  tribes  through  the  numerous  creeks 
and  arms  of  the  sea.  Here  we  saw  for  the  first  time 
the  circular  cast  net.  It  was  used  for  catching  the 
enormous  shrimp  or  prawn,  which,  while  shaped 
like  the  common  shrimp,  has  a  body  six  inches  long, 
and  feelers  still  longer.  This  curious  creature  is 
mostly  used  for  bait,  though  it  is  excellent  eating 
when  boiled.  There  is  good  sheepsheading  in  the 
creek  opposite  the  last  house  before  reaching  the  cut, 
and  as  it  was  impossible  to  keep  Mr.  Green  quiet 
longer  without  a  day's  fishing,  we  had  to  let  him  go 
Avhile  the  rest  of  us  enjoyed  the  mere  pleasure  of 
existence  in  the  delicious  climate.  Wo  ate  oranges 
and  sucked  sugar-cane  in  true  childhood  style,  and 
wandered  through  the  village  while  he  was  pursuing 
science.  We  were  not  a  little  ashamed  of  ourselves 
when  he  returned  with  a  magnificent  string  of 
sheepshead,  both  the  large  and  small  kinds,  sea 
trout,  and  a  dozen  other  varieties,  victualling  the 
ship  for  several  days.  Then  our  sails  were  once  more 
set  and  we  were  off  for  the  further  South,  for  there 
always  is  a  higher  height  and  a  deeper  depth;  so  there 
is  a  further  south,  a  further  west,  and  a  more  inac- 
cessible north.  We  did  not  go  far,  however,  before 
we  had  to  stop.  Not  that  there  was  any  dire  neces- 
sity, not  that  any  member  of  our  party  was  sick,  nor 
that  the  wind  or  the  bread  had  given  out  ;  not  that 
we  had  lost  our  course  or  were  actually  impeded  in 
any  wise,  but  still  we  hiad  to  stop — in  order  to  catch 
crabs.  I  take  it  for  granted  that  there  is  none  of 
my  readers  so  unfortunate  as  never  to  have  eaten 


63  IN   FLORIDA. 

that  most  delicious  of  table  luxuries,  the  hard-shell 
— ^for  I  have  never  given  my  allegiance  to  the  soft- 
crab.  If  that  is  so,  then  I  will  have  no  occasion 
to  make  further  explanation,  when  I  say  that  the 
finest  crabs  which  we  got  in  the  Southern  waters,  we 
caught  at  Fernandina,  or  rather  between  that  place 
and  Jacksonville,  for  the  crabbing  Avas  good  all  the 
way.  Mr.  Seth  Green  is  especially  fond  of  these 
strange  animals,  who  insist  on  wearing  their  bones 
outside  of  their  skins,  and  no  inducement  except 
satiety  will  persuade  him  away  from  good  crabbing 
ground.  The  Doctor  is  also  found  of  crabs,  and  so 
were  all  the  rest  of  those  on  board,  and  hence  there 
was  not  the  slightest  objection  when  Mr.  Green 
made  the  following  sensible  remark : 

*'  Well  now  that  we  have  got  to  Florida,  don't  you 
think  it  'most  time  to  begin  to  enjoy  ourselves?  You 
have  kept  us  all  hard  at  work  as  if  our  lives  depend- 
ed on  it,  driving  away  through  good  weather  and 
bad,  through  rain  and  shine  in  order  to  get  here,  and 
now  that  we  are  here  don't  you  think  that  you  might 
let  up  for  a  few  days  at  least  till  we  could  have  a 
little  of  the  pleasure  we  came  after?" 

The  wild  ducks  which  we  had  killed  in  Currituck 
were  gone  long  ago,  the  snipe  we  had  found  on  the 
way  down,  had  lasted  only  a  short  time,  but  Mr. 
Green  bad  supplied  us  with  all  the  fish  we  could  eat, 
oysters  lay  around  us  begging  to  bo  picked  up  and 
roasted,  and  now  we  had  an  unlimited  supply  of 
crabs,  which  merely  requested  us  to  offer  them  a  piece 
of  refuse  meat  in  exchange  for  their  luscious  bodies. 


IN  FLOEIDA.  63 

If  a  man  wants  to  live  well  and  cheaply  let  him  go 
to  Florida,  there  certainly  never  was  such  a  place 
for  a  yachting  expedition.  "When  we  had  boiled  a 
reserve  of  nearly  a  hundred  crabs,  and  we  had  all 
eaten  as  many  as  we  could,  we  ceased  crabbing  and 
went  to  sailing  once  more. 

Instead  of  going  through  the  Sisters  Creek,  which 
is  the  shorter  course,  we  stood  out  to  sea  from  Fort 
George  Inlet  and  ran  into  the  St.  John's,  a  thing 
which  I  would  advise  no  man  to  do  unless  he  was 
well  acquainted  with  the  bars,  or  had  like  myself  a 
very  light  draft  vessel,  for  both  the  channels  are 
narrow  and  shoal.  When  we  were  once  inside  the 
St.  John's  we  got  out  our  nets  in  order  to  ascertain 
just  what  the  waters  contained.  Although  net  fish- 
ing is  not  so  stimulating  as  that  with  the  hook  and 
line,  it  is  more  certain  even  if  both  are  in  skilful 
hands. 

We  were  rewarded  by  some  small  yearling,  moss- 
bunkers  and  bluefish,  which,  while  the  Doctor  looked 
on  them  as  a  disappointment,  were  valuable  as  set- 
tling the  question  that  both  of  these  fish  spawn  in 
the  Southern  waters.  A  further  result  of  our  efforts 
was,  that  we  hurried  on  to  Jacksonville  as  fast  as  we 
could.  On  the  way  we  ran  over  a  shad  net.  It  was 
early  in  the  morning,  and  there  was  a  sort  of  haze 
on  the  water,  so  that  Ave  did  not  see  the  log  that  the 
fishermen  tic  to  the  end  of  their  nets,  to  point  out 
where  it  is.  The  owners  of  it  were  taking  it  in  from 
the  other  side  of  their  boat,  and  even  so  old  a 
fisherman  as  Mr.  Green  was  deceived  as  to  the  direc- 


64  IN   FLOEIDA. 

tion  in  which  it  was  stretched.  We  carried  a  piece 
of  it  away  with  us,  and  had  to  cut  it  off  from  our 
rudder.  For  this  we  were  sorry,  but  were  miles  off 
before  we  had  even  got  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  apol- 
ogy we  would  have  to  make,  or  of  the  damage  for 
which  we  would  gladly  have  paid. 

At  Jacksonville  we  felt  almost  as  much  at  home 
as  if  we  were  in  New  York.  We  found  friends  there, 
we  made  others,  and  enjoyed  ourselves  so  thoroughly 
that  it  was  only  the  imperative  demands  of  sport 
that  compelled  us  to  move  on.  Just  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  so  large  a  city  there  is  naturally  not 
much  to  shoot  or  to  catch.  There  are  innumerable 
cat-fish  which  Mr.  Green  was  never  tired  of  taking, 
and  which  weighed  as  much  as  ten  pounds  each.. 
He  insisted  they  were  excellent  eating,  a  matter  in 
which  we  allowed  him  to  have  his  opinion  without 
contesting  the  question.  The  water  on  the  surface 
is  fresh,  an^  some  black-bass  can  always  be  caught 
in  the  vicinity.  The  condition  of  the  water  in  the 
St.  John's  is  different  from  that  of  any  other  stream 
with  which  I  am  familiar.  Even  as  high  up  as  Pilat- 
ka,  eighty  miles  above,  the  surface  water  is  absolute- 
ly fresh,  while  near  the  bottom  there  is  a  current  so 
salt  that  crabs  are  caught  in  the  shad  nets.  The 
Salter  fluid  seems  to  be  denser  and  heavier  than  the 
other,  and  will  not  mingle  with  it,  so  that  we  have 
the  anomaly  of  both  fresh  and  salt-water  fish 
being  caught  at  the  same  time  and  place. 

Into  the  St.  John's  there  empty  at  every  few  miles 
tributary  streams  that  are  rarely  ascended  by  the 


m  FLORIDA.  65 

yisiting  sportsman,  and  where  the  birds  and  fish  exist 
in  their  primeval  abundance  and  fearlessness.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  specify  these  by  name,  or  to  particu- 
larize any  as  better  than  others,  for  they  are  essen- 
tially alike.  We  could  not  explore  them  all,  but 
those  which  we  did,  we  found  filled  with  fish  and 
with  a  fair  amount  of  game.  It  was  too  early  in  the 
year  for  alligators,  if  they  can  be  called  game,  to 
show  themselves,  but  birds  were  to  be  had  plenti- 
fully, and  fish  were  simply  innumerable.  Of  these 
we  killed  so  many  that  we  had  to  salt  them  down. 
There  is  an  additional  interest,  the  interest  of  new 
explorations,  in  ascending  the  secluded  rivers,  and 
I  advise  every  tourist  who  visits  this  portion  of  Flor- 
ida in  his  own  conveyance,  not  to  omit  going  up 
one  or  more  of  them. 

This  was  a  late  season,  shad  were  running,  and  we 
had  them  continually  on  our  table,  but  roses  were 
not  in  full  bloom  in  the  open  air,  and  as  for  straw- 
berries, which  are  usually  abundant  by  New  Year's, 
they  had  not  come  in  at  all  yet.  \Ye  had  bought  up 
all  the  curiosities  that  we  could  distribute  among 
our  Northern  friends  ;  we  had  played  with  the  baby 
alligators  in  the  jewelry  stores  ;  we  had  listened  to 
the  first  installment  of  the  wonderful  Florida  stories; 
we  had  dined  at  all  the  excellent  Jacksonville  hotels, 
and  were  ready  to  withdraw  once  more  from  civili- 
zation. So  the  Heartsease  spread  her  sails  again, 
and  started  up  the  river.  I  say  "up,"  because  by 
the  current  our  course  was  up  stream  ;  but  it  was 
down  by  tlie  map.     We  were  going  south,  the  St. 


66  li^   FLOEIDA. 

John's  being  one  of  the  few  of  the  North  American 
rivers  which  seem  to  run  the  wrong  way,  that  is,  from 
the  south  to  the  north.  In  our  short  stay  in  Jack- 
sonville we  had  learned  that  alligator-tooth  jewelry 
is  occasionally  made  of  celluloid ;  that  one  of  the 
best  drinks  in  the  world  of  bar-keeping  is  a  punch 
compounded  from  the  native  sour  orange  ;  that 
Florida  stories  arc  always  reliable,  even  when  they 
assert  that  mosquitoes  are  so  abundant  that  hogs 
make  meals  of  them,  or  inform  us  that  the  favorite 
game  fish  of  Florida,  the  tarpon,  jumps  six  feet  out 
of  v/ater  when  he  is  hooked,  or  that  sharks  will  seize 
a  man  if  they  have  to  leap  as  high  as  the  deck  of  the 
yacht  to  do  so.  In  leaving  Jacksonville,  we  supposed 
we  were  leaving  all  this  behind  us,  not  knowing  that 
Florida  is  full  of  quaint  jewelry  made,  as  the  jewelry 
of  no  other  part  of  the  world,  out  of  fish  scales,  sau- 
rian teeth,  sea  beans,  shells,  orange  tree  woods,  and 
sharks'  molars  ;  that  everywhere  there  are  wonder- 
ful stories  which  only  differ  from  one  another  in 
size  ;  that  palmetto  hats  were  to  be  bought  in  every 
village  store,  and  that  sour  oranges  hang  from  innu- 
merable trees,  valueless  for  traffic,  and  only  begging 
to  be  made  into  nectar  fit  for  gods. 

By  the  time  the  Doctor  had  made  these  philo- 
sophical reflections.  Heartsease  was  tearing  along 
before  a  favoring  breeze  past  Mandarin,  past  the 
Magnolia  Hotel  and  Green  Cove  Spring;  past  Tocoi, 
the  terminus  of  the  St.  Augustine  Railroad,  till  she 
made  anchorage  by  nightfall  off  Pilatka.  On  the 
way  we  had  put  up  many  ducks,  had  seen  the  cows 


11?^  FLOEIDA.  67 

up  to  their  backs  in  water  feeding  off  the  cabbage  at 
the  bottom,  and  thrusting  their  heads  clear  under 
to  get  it,  and  we  began  to  realize  that  in  the  end  we 
might  come  to  believe  anything  of  the  wonders  of 
this  wonderful  land.  On  the  last  day  of  our  stay  in 
Jacksonville,  we  had  given  a  little  lunch  on  board, 
and  to  show  what  dinners  can  be  got  up  there,  and 
how  easily,  I  will  reproduce  the  bill  of  fare.  Every- 
thing had  been  prepared  on  board,  and  although 
our  cabin  could  only  seat  twelve,  we  placed  before 
the  guests  cold  turkey,  beef  and  tongue,  chicken 
salad,  prepared  by  the  Doctor  in  most  artistic  style, 
stewed  oysters,  roast  potatoes,  radishes,  and  for  des- 
sert banana  salad — an  invention  of  the  better  part  of 
the  party, — Dummit  Grove  oranges,  sapidillas,  and 
grape  fruit,  with  pieces  montees  of  palmetto  leaves 
and  sour  oranges  en  Iranchcs.  There  was  a  little 
pate  de  foies  gras  also,  but  that  need  not  be  counted, 
because  it  came  from  the  Xorth. 

We  found  that  when  we  had  reached  Pilatka  the 
stories,  instead  of  diminishing,  developed  yet  more 
astonishing  proportions.  The  mosquitoes,  that  the 
hogs  fed  on  at  Jacksonville,  put  out  the  head  light  of 
the  locomotive  at  Pilatka,  extinguished  a  bonfire,  and 
made  nothing  of  the  negroes  "  light  wood  torches;" 
the  tarpon  of  Jacksonville  could  only  jump  six  feet 
high  when  hooked,  while  the  tarpon  of  Pilatka,  with- 
out being  hooked,  bounded  clear  over  the  rail  of  the 
steamboat  Seth  Low,  which  was  ten  feet  from  the 
water,  struck  the  captain  in  the  stomach,  and  knock- 
ed him  down.     We  had  not  been  at  Pilatka  two  days. 


68  IN  FLORIDA. 

before  we  were  ready  to  swallow  any  mental  halluci- 
nation, so  rapidly  does  faith  grow  in  the  glorious, 
and  balmy  air  of  Florida. 

If  Jacksonville  had  been  attractive,  Pilatkawas 
equally  so.  Opposite  to  it  is  the  famous  orange  grove 
of  Mr.  Hart,  which  we  had  to  visit,  and  where  we 
ate  our  first  oranges,  plucked  by  ourselves  from  the 
trees,  beside  tasting  mandarins  and  tangerins,  lem- 
ons, limes,  guava  and  bananas,  and  that  best  of  all 
oranges,  the  grape  fruit.  There  were  great  planta- 
tions of  bananas,  which  grow  by  suckers  from  the 
roots,  and  increase  like  weeds.  They  have  to  be  three 
years  old  before  they  bear,  and  the  development  of 
the  flower  and  fruit,  which  was  going  on  while  we 
were  there,  was  a  pretty  sight.  The  top  of  the  stalk 
turns  over  and  produces  a  huge  purple  flower  of  a 
single  leaf,  as  large  as  the  hand  of  a  giant.  From 
under  this  large  leaf  starts  a  circle  of  small  sprouts 
like  fingers.  The  big  leaf  falls  off,  but  from  the 
ends  of  the  fingers  burst  other,  much  smaller  purple 
flowers.  Then  below  the  row  of  fingers  grows  an- 
other large  flower  like  the  first,  and  it  also  uncovers 
another  row  of  fingers,  so  on  till  the  entire  bunch  of 
bananas,  as  we  know  it  in  the  market,  is  formed. 
Even  then  the  flower  point  does  not  cease  growing, 
but  exhibits  flower  after  flower,  which  are  merely 
ornamental  and  do  not  result  in  fruit.  Sprouts  start 
so  freely  from  the  roots,  that  the  young  bushes  have 
to  be  cut  away  every  year  with  scythes,  or  they  would 
become  crowded,  and  the  fruit  degenerate.  Every 
day,    that    was    spent    studying    the    wonderful 


IK  FLORIDA.  69 

productions  of  Florida,  every  new  tree  or  bush, 
which  attracted  our  attention  by  its  beauty, 
or  its  oddity,  every  new  species  of  fruit, 
which  charmed  our  palate  with  its  originality  of 
flavor,  made  us  more  in  love  with  this  interesting 
country,  and  wish  that  it  and  its  accompaniments 
could  only  exist  in  a  colder  climate.  There  was  but 
one  feeling  in  the  minds  of  the  party  on  leaving  Mr. 
Hart's  plantation,  which  was  that  each  of  us  could 
own  an  orange  grove,  and  have  it  close  at  home. 

One  evening  as  we  were  returning  after  a  sailing 
excursion  to  visit  the  neighborhood,  we  heard  cries 
which  sounded  like  cries  of  distress.  The  negroes 
were  so  in  the  habit  of  laughing  at,  and  jibing  one 
another,  that  we  at  first  took  no  notice  of  these.  It 
was  nearly  night,  so  dark,  that  objects  could  not  be 
distinguished  at  any  considerable  distance;  but  the 
cries  continuing,  we  determined  to  see  whether  they 
meant  merely  fun  or  something  more  serious,  and 
kept  away  in  the  direction  from  which  they  came. 
That  moment's  delay  cost  at  least  one  man  his  life, 
and  brought  sorrow  to  one  household.  After  sailing 
a  few  minutes,  we  were  able  to  distinguish  an  object 
in  the  water,  which  looked  like  a  boat  capsized. 
Such  it  turned  out  to  be,  and  as  we  approached, 
we  could  make  out  a  number  of  men  clinging  to  its 
sides.  It  was  a  launch  belonging  to  the  crew  of  a 
steam  ferry  boat,  and  was  used  by  the  men  after 
their  day's  work  was  over  to  take  them  across  the  riv- 
er, as  they  left  the  steamer  on  the  other  side.  It  was 
abundantly  able  to  carry  the  number  that  started  in 


70  IN   FLORIDA. 

it,  and  more,  but  some  of  them  had  been  pouring 
out  libations  to  Bacchus,  or  had  been  carried  away 
by  foolish  animal  spirits,  we  could  not  exactly  deter- 
mine which,  and  the  result  was,  that  the  party  of 
merry-makers  was  suddenly  turned  into  one  of 
mourners. 

We  luffed  up  alongside,  and  lay  to,  while  our  men 
lowered  the  boats,  and  picked  up  all  the  poor  fellows 
who  were  left.  Two  were  unaccounted  for,  one  of 
whom  had  been  seen  to  let  go  his  hold  and  sink.  Sev- 
eral of  the  others  would  have  soon  followed  his  exam- 
ple, except  for  our  timely  arrival,  for  the  water  hap- 
pened to  be  cool  that  evening,  and  quickly  benumb- 
ed their  warm  southern  blood,  although  they  were 
whites,  and  not  blacks,  as  we  at  first  supposed.  Af- 
ter they  were  all  on  board,  and  it  was  apparent  that 
there  was  no  use  in  looking  for  their  lost  comrades, 
we  hitched  a  line  to  their  boat,  and  towed  it  behind 
us  towards  the  shore.  As  the  men  crowded  on  our 
deck,  they  seemed  so  miserable,  and  did  so  tremble 
with  the  cold,  that  the  hearts  of  the  ladies  were 
touched,  and  nothing  would  do  but  they  must  be 
brought  into  the  cabin,  and  warmed  at  the  stove, 
there  being  not  room  enough  for  so  many  in  the  fore- 
castle. Their  clothes  dripped  and  drained  over  our 
pretty  carpet,  and  left  stains,  which  never  were  to  come 
out,  but  we  felt  only  too  glad  that  we  had  been  able 
to  be  of  some  use  to  any  of  our  fellow  "  toilers  of  the 
sea."  We  finally  warmed  their  blood,  and  put  fresh 
life  into  them  with  liberal  rations  of  rum,  which  was 
fifty  years  old.     Amid  their  sufferings  what  caused 


IN  FLORIDA.  71 

them  the  most  pain,  was,  that  they  would  have  to 
tell  the  wife  of  the  engineer,  who  was  lost,  of  his 
death.  This  they  dreaded  as  much  as  they  would 
have  dreaded  another  struggle  in  the  water. 

There  is  often  danger  from  the  heavy  fogs,  which 
roll  up  dense,  and  dark  on  the  St.  John's  in  the 
night  time,  and  we  saw  several  accidents  from  that 
cause.  We  took  the  precaution  of  always  anchor- 
ing, when  not  in  port,  on  some  flat,  and  making 
sure  of  a  well  filled  anchor  light.  The  steamers 
invariably  follow  the  channel,  for  their  own  protec- 
tion, and  the  pilots  run  at  full  speed,  as  in  that  way 
alone  can  they  be  sure  of  their  position,  a  knowledge 
which  comes  to  them  by  habit.  There  was,  how- 
ever, one  annoyance,  which  no  lights  would  pre- 
vent, no  mosquito  nets  keep  out,  and  no  preparation 
mitigate,  the  plague  of  gnats;  they  come,  when  they 
make  up  their  minds  to  come,  in  myriads,  pour  down 
the  companion  way,  preferring  the  inside  of  the 
cabin  to  the  outside,  make  themselves  at  home,  push 
into  the  state-rooms,  and  do  not  care  in  the  least 
how  many  millions  of  their  number  you  immolate. 
I  had  been  advised  that  insect  powder,  if  burned  in 
the  cabin,  would  drive  them  out.  On  their  first 
visitation  I  tried  the  remedy.  It  is  to  be  feared  that 
the  heartless  person  who  gave  me  that  recipe  was  a 
practical  joker.  There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of 
gnats  to  specially  provoke  merriment  so  far  as  I 
could  ever  see,  or  feel,  but  there  are  persons  who  ex- 
tract pleasure  from  a  funeral.  I  placed  a  small  quan- 
tity of  the  powder  on  a  piece  of  paper,  which  I  light- 


72  IK  FLOEIDA. 

ed.  The  paper  was  soon  consumed,  but  the  powder 
remained  intact,  in  fact  it  preserved  that  part  of  the 
paper,  which  was  directly  under  it.  Then  I  added 
some  chips,  and  laying  the  whole  on  an  old  plate, 
tried  it  again;  failure  number  two,  the  powder  was 
still  unconsumed,  and  the  gnats,  who  had  not  neg- 
lected these  opportunities,  while  I  was  busy,  to  pay 
their  respects  to  me,  were  as  happy  and  lively  as  ever. 
Determined  not  be  foiled,  I  then  built  a  fire  in  the 
stove,  and  leaving  the  stove  holes  open,  poured  the 
powder  on  the  flame.  In  vain,  it  only  put  out  the 
fire.  After  that  I  lost  faith  in  the  virtues  of  insect 
powder,  and  had  to  endure  as  well  as  I  could,  lamen- 
tations coming  faintly  through  the  doors  of  the 
state-rooms  ''Oh  what  are  these  strange  things  that 
are  biting  us  so."  Patience  seems  to  be  the  only 
cure  for  gnat  bites,  and  we  did  not  carry  that  article 
with  us. 

"  Doctor,"  said  Mr.  Green  one  morning,  after 
we  had  spent  a  couple  of  weeks  in  the  delightful 
laziness  of  sight  seeing  and  curiosity  buying,  ''  how 
much  longer  do  you  think  the  skipper  intends  to 
keep  us  idling  here  ?"  He  had  devoted  his  attention 
lately  to  dragging  the  Doctor  with  him  on  his  inter- 
viewing expeditions,  and  they  had  just  returned 
from  their  tenth  call  upon  the  northern  shad  fisher- 
men, who,  having  brought  their  nets  from  their 
homes  to  try  and  catch  the  earliest  run  of  shad, 
Avere  camping  in  the  woods  beyond  the  town. 

*'I  am  afraid,"  replied  our  medical  associate  with 
base  dishonesty,  for  he  was  fully  as  fond  of  the  dolce 


IN   FLORIDA.  73 

far  niente  as  myself,  '*  that  he  intends  to  remain 
here  for  the  rest  of  his  natural  life. " 

*'  What,  going  to  stay  here  for  ever!"  came  from 
the  pretty  mouth,  which  belonged  to  a  pretty  head, 
that  just  then  appeared  above  the  companion  way, 
*'  I  do  like  to  go  fishing,  and  get  away  from  people." 

''  Yes,"  came  faintly  from  another  in  the  bowels 
of  the  cabin,  *'  I  am  always  fond  of  a  change." 

"  We  havn't  caught  a  fish  since  day  before  yes- 
terday," continued  Seth  in  a  most  injured  tone  of 
voice.  "I  should  like  to  catch  something  beside  cat- 
fish once  more." 

This  is  the  sort  of  thing  that  the  yachtsman  has 
to  bear  from  his  mutinous  crew,  and  there  is  but  one 
way  of  dealing  with  it.  I  went  forward  without  a 
word,  called  my  men,  aiid  we  were  underway  so 
soon,  that  the  breath  was  nearly  taken  from  the 
party,  and  I  heard  low  gi'umblings  about  provisions, 
wliich  ought  to  have  been  laid  in,  and  curiosities, 
which  were  to  have  been  bought,  and  which  never 
could  begot  again,  for  an  hour  afterwards,  as  we  were 
rapidly  running  up  the  river. 

The  weather  had  become  hot,  the  thermometer 
marking  eighty-nine  in  the  shade,  and  mosquitoes 
made  their  appearance  in  the  evenings ;  for  those 
we  were  prepared,  as  the  yacht  was  especially  fitted 
with  mosquito  screens.  But  the  heat  was  too  much 
for  us,  and  it  was  unanimously  determined  that  we 
must  take  a  bath.  We  had  brought  our  bathing 
dresses  more  by  good  luck  than  good  management, 
for  we  had  no  expectation  of  quite  so  summery  a 


74  IN   FLOBIDA. 

time  in  tlie  midst  of  winter.  We  had  been  assured 
that  snakes  never  enter  the  waters  of  a  sulphur 
spring,  and  that  there  was  a  sulphur  spring  at  We- 
laka  on  our  way.  So  we  stopped  where  we  thought 
it  must  be  according  to  the  chart,  and  in  that  in- 
stance, as  in  all  others,  the  chart  was  right.  In 
fact  from  the  beginning  of  our  trip  to  the  end  we 
found  ourselves,  by  the  aid  of  the  charts,  masters  of 
the  situation,  and  generally  much  better  informed 
than  the  natives. 

We  anchored  the  yacht  at  the  hend  of  the  river 
just  below  Welaka,  and  taking  the  small  boats  row- 
ed into  the  spring,  which  was  only  a  hundred  yards 
away.  What  a  glorious  sight  it  was,  no  puling  little 
affair,  such  as  is  called  a  spring  at  the  North,  but 
a  basin  two  hundred  feet  across,  the  water  boil- 
ing up  in  the  centre  in  a  jet  as  large  round  as  a  hogs- 
head, and  rising  a  foot  above  the  surface,  clear  as  crys- 
tal, and  gleaming  like  gems,  the  irridescent  waves 
spreading  away  from  the  central  source  in  lines  of 
glistening  transparency,  the  sunlight  reflected  from 
every  ripple,  as  from  a  thousand  prisms.  Such  a 
perfect  bathing  spot  we  had  never  seen  before,  it  was 
a  bath-room  fit  for  Diana  and  her  nymphs.  We 
had  put  on  our  bathing  clothes  before  leaving  the 
yacht,  and  it  took  us  but  a  few  moments  to  fasten  our 
boats  and  plunge  overboard. 

Snakes  are  one  of  the  drawbacks  of  this  warm 
tropical  State.  On  some  of  the  keys  on  the  Gulf 
side,  they  are  so  numerous  that  no  man  is  safe  in 
landing.     The  most  deadly  is  the  rattlesnake,  but 


IN   FLORIDA.  75 

the  most  disagreeable  is  the  mocassin,  which,  al- 
though not  so  fatal,  sometimes  attacks  a  man  in  the 
water  without  provocation.  The  latter's  bite  pro- 
duces paralysis  more  frequently  than  death,  but  as 
his  attacks  cannot  be  guarded  against,  he  is  really 
a  more  unpleasant  enemy.  The  traveller's  safety  in 
bathing  consists  in  seeking  one  of  these  wonderful 
sulphur  springs,  into  Avhich  snakes  do  not  enter,  al- 
though fish  abound  in  them,  looking  like  moving 
motes  in  liquid  amber.  The  temperature  of  these 
springs  is  not  cold,  being  the  same  as  that  of  the 
rivers,  but  there  is  something  exceedingly  exhilarat- 
ing in  bathing  in  them.  The  feeling  of  the  water  is 
different  from  that  of  any  other  bath.  There  is  a 
peculiar  sense  of  cleanliness,  and  a  lightness  of  spir- 
its, which  may  account  for  the  fancy  of  Ponce  de 
Leon,  that  he  had  at  last  found  the  source  of  eternal 
youth.  Many  of  these  springs  are  brought  within  the 
destructive  dominion  of  man,  and  are  open  to  every 
passing  tourist,  but  the  one  where  we  were  Avas  sa> 
cred  to  him,  who  has  his  own  conveyance,  and  was 
not  to  be  defiled  or  polluted  by  the  common  way- 
farer. 

We  had  a  delightful  bath.  There  is  a  common 
delusion  that  the  water  of  the  sulphur  springs  is  so 
thin  and  light,  that  it  will  not  support  the  best 
swimmer.  We  soon  ascertained  that  this  was  a  to- 
tally unfounded  fancy,  so  far  as  the  Welaka  spring 
was  concerned.  We  not  only  swam  to  and  fro 
without  difliculty,  but  enjoyed  an  additional  pleas- 
ure in  getting  directly  over  the  boiling  spout  itself, 
4 


76  IN   FLORIDA. 

and  being  buoyed  up  by  it,  where  the  water  was  ten 
feet  deep.  All  of  us  were  sorry,  when  evening  and 
hunger  compelled  us  to  return  to  the  yacht. 

The  stories  concerning  the  dangerous  nature  of 
the  snakes  of  Florida  are  probably  exaggerated,  as 
we  saw  no  more  of  them,  than  we  would  have  seen  in 
the  same  amount  of  country  life  at  the  North.  The 
negro  children  bathe  off  the  docks  of  Pilatka  and 
Jacksonville  as  a  common  thing,  and  later  in  the 
year,  when  the  peril  from  snakes  is  greater.  There 
are  spots,  where,  as  I  have  said,  they  are  to  be  dread- 
ed, and  we  heard  well  authenticated  stories  of  men 
being  snake  bitten,  but  on  the  other  hand  old  hun- 
ters, who  were  in  the  woods  most  of  their  time,  told 
us  they  were  never  troubled  by  their  attacks,  and 
the  camping  out  parties,  which  we  encountered  all 
over,  seemed  not  disturbed  by  them.  Still,  while 
on  the  subject,  I  will  give  the  prescription  which 
was  kindly  furnished  us  by  Dr.  Ken  worthy  of  Jack- 
sonville, and  which  will  doubtless  prove  a  better 
cure  than  the  common  one  of  getting  drunk  on 
whiskey;  mix  two  tablespoonfuls  of  the  carbonate  of 
ammonia  with  enough  spirits  of  camphor  to  make  a 
paste.  Apply  this  on  a  rag  to  the  bite,  changing  the 
rag  as  often  as  it  gets  discolored.  Our  medical  as- 
sociate gave  his  approval  to  the  remedy,  and  if  those 
two  authorities  could  not  cure  a  snake  bite,  no  one 
can. 

As  our  little  yacht  shot  out  from  the  St.  John's 
Eiver,  nearly  two  hundred  miles  above  the  place 
where  we  had  entered  it,  and  came  into  full  view  of 


llf  FLOEIDA.  '^^ 

that  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  Lake  George,  thous- 
ands of  wild  ducks  rose  three  gunshots  off,  and  flew 
away.  The  sight  rejoiced  our  eyes,  for  we  had  pass- 
ed several  days  on  the  river  without  seeing  any  large 
birds  except  the  strange  water-turkeys,  or  snake- 
birds.  Unfortunately  we  had  no  battery  with  us, 
and  had  to  trust  to  finding  a  point  of  land  that  the 
ducks  would  approach.  This  was  no  easy  thing  to 
do,  and  we  sailed  half  the  length  of  the  north  shore, 
before  reaching  a  promising  spot,  a  narrow  point 
running  out  between  two  bays,  and  at  the  outer 
end  of  which  the  birds  were  crowded  together  in 
flocks  of  thousands.  There  was  nothing  to  be  done 
till  the  next  morning,  and  seeing  a  farm  house  on 
the  neck  of  land,  Mr.  Seth  Green  went  ashore  to 
get  what  information  he  could  from  the  owner. 
This  gentleman  was  at  the  moment  working  in  his 
garden,  and  although  the  thermometer  stood  at 
eighty  in  the  shade,  lie  wore  the  encumbrance  of  a 
pair  of  long  India  rubber  boots.  As  these  seemed 
rather  out  of  accord  with  the  torrid  temperature,  he 
was  delicately  asked  his  reasons  for  wearing  them; 
**  well,"  he  replied  philosophically,  "  they  cannot 
strike  over  those."  This  sounded  ominously,  for 
although,  as  I  have  said,  we  had  heard  a  good  deal 
about  snakes,  we  had  seen  nothing  of  them  yet. 
Our  doul)ts  were  removed  when  the  gentleman 
pointed  out  an  immense  dead  rattlesnake  hanging 
on  the  limb  of  a  bush,  and  added,  "  I  killed  him  yes- 
terday." We  returned  promptly  to  the  yacht,  con- 
tented to  make  our  explorations  by  water  thereaf- 


78  IH  FLORIDA. 

ter,  till  we  should  get  over  the  effect  of  so  sudden  an 
introduction  to  a  new  acquaintance. 

Next  day  we  devoted  to  the  ducks,  but  we  were 
not  properly  rigged  for  them,  and  soon  learned  that 
without  a  battery  we  could  not  expect  to  kill  many 
in  the  wide  waters  of  Lake  George,  they  were  most- 
ly broad-bills,  but  did  not  seem  to  be  as  healthy  as 
our  Northern  ducks.  One  of  my  men,  who  was  an 
old  gunner,  said  that  their  feathers  appeared  to  be 
burnt,  as  though  they  had  been  scorched  by  the 
sun.  They  are  continually  chased  by  all  the  visit- 
ors to  Florida,  silly  shooters,  who  fire  at  them  from 
every  passing  steamboat,  or  who  pursue  them  in  the 
small  steam  yachts,  which  are  becoming  a  feature  of 
Southern  travel.  The  day  following,  we  sailed  across 
the  lake  to  the  south-west  corner,  intending  to  as- 
cend the  Juniper  Creek,  which  empties  into  it  there. 
Mr.  Green  and  myself  were  all  of  the  party  Avho 
cared  to  make  the  exploration;  we  took  one  of  the 
small  boats,  and  struck  into  the  outlet,  which  we 
had  found  without  difficulty  and  commenced  the  as- 
cent. It  was  a  strange,  desolate  river,  quice  unlike 
our  Northern  streams,  slow  and  sluggish  most  of  the 
way,  half  grown  up  with  grasses,  weeds,  and  cabbage 
plants,  lined  on  either  side  by  a  rank,  tall  mass  of 
reeds,  that  were  yellow  with  age,  and  approaching 
decay,  overhung  here  and  there  by  some  Southern 
])lants  or  bushes,  and  once  in  a  while  winding  be- 
tween groves  of  palmettos.  There  was  a  sombre, 
savage,  and  deadly  appearance  in  the  water  itself. 
We  proceeded  quietly  for  a  time,  but  Mr.    Green, 


IN    FLORIDA.  79 

who  is  more  alive  to  the  contents  of  a  stream  than 
to  its  air  of  gloom  or  brightness,  broke  the  silence. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  as  lie  began  setting  up  his  rod, 
"  I  will  show  you  my  favorite  rig  for  catching  big- 
mouthed  bass.  Look  at  that  trolling  spoon,  it  is 
something  of  my  own  invention,  although  the  tackle 
shops  are  getting  them  lately." 

He  had  a  special  arrangement  of  feathers  and  tin, 
not  be  described  on  paper,  but  long  experience  has 
made  me  skeptical  about  new  all-killing  inventions, 
and  possibly  my  countenance  betrayed  my  thoughts, 
for  he  went  on,  as  he  saw  me  getting  out  a  cast  of 
bass  flies. 

*' I  know"  he  observed,  throwing  his  lure  over- 
board, "  that  other  rigs  will  take  some,  but  you  see 
now,  I  shall  have  one  within  a  minute." 

I  had  no  choice,  as  I  was  seated  in  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  and  could  not  have  used  a  trolling  spoon  if  I 
had  wislied,  as  our  lines  would  have  fouled.  I  had  to 
put  on  flies  and  fish  by  casting. 

"  That  is  all  very  well,"  I  replied,  *' at  certain 
times,  and  in  a  stream  like  this,  but  if  we  had  a 
large,  deep  river,  I  would  rather  use  a  number  of  flies 
on  a  long  leader." 

"  There,"  said  Mr.  Green  at  that  moment  as  he 
struck  a  fish,  "  what  did  I  tell  you.  If  you  want 
to  take  black-bass,  particularly  this  kind — " 

He  never  finished  his  observation,  for  at  that  mo- 
ment a  four-pound  fish  seized  my  fly,  and  it  took 
our  joint  skill  and  attention  to  keep  from  fouling. 
He  managed,  however,  to  get  his  fish  in  quickly,  as 


go  IN^   FLORIDA. 

it  was  a  small  one,  and  give  me  an  opportunity  to 
play  mine  with  the  light  tackle  that  I  was  using. 
We  saved  them  both,  but  they  were  only  the  fore- 
runners of  an  unlimited  number.  The  spoon  did 
undoubtedly  kill  the  most,  but  there  were  all  that 
we  both  wanted,  ten  times  over,  and  we  had  to  stop 
fishing,  to  avoid  destroying  more  than  we  could  use. 
I  had  the  satisfaction  of  catching  the  largest,  how- 
ever, with  the  fly. 

We  had  brought  a  gun,  as  well  as  our  fishing 
tackle.  Suddenly  from  out  the  bushes  tliere  rose 
with  much  noise  and  flurry  a  large  bird.  I  had 
hardly  time  to  grab  my  gun,  before  he  was  out  of 
range,  and  although  I  fired,  it  was  ineffectually. 

"  Oh,  I  am  sorry  you  missed  him,"  said  Mr. 
Green  sadly,  for  he  always  takes  a  dejected  view  of 
otlier  people's  failures,  "that  was  a  Limpkin,  audi 
should  like  to  have  got  him." 

"I  thought  it  was  a  water  turkey,"  I  replied,  re- 
ferring to  tlie  queer  creature  that  we  liad  seen  on 
ever  stick  and  stump  in  the  St.  John's.  "  But  what- 
ever it  was,  it  was  out  of  range  when  I  fired." 

"  I  think  he  was  a  Limpkin,"  persisted  my  com- 
panion, -'don't  you,  Charley?" 

The  stream  was  becoming  rapidly  narrower,  and 
as  that  made  the  fishing  more  difficult,  and  we  had 
all  the  fish  we  wanted,  Ave  took  in  our  lines.  Soon 
Charley  had  to  cease  rowing  and  resort  to  poling. 
We  finally  came  to  where  it  was  so  narrow  that 
there  was  scarcely  room  for  the  boat,  and  the  over- 
hanging branches  and  bushes  swept  against  our 


IK  FLOKIDA.  81 

faces.  We  were  just  about  to  give  up  any  idea  of 
further  advance,  when  suddenly  we  shot  out  from 
the  small  brook  into  a  broad  river.  Instead  of 
having  ascended  to  the  head  waters  ef  the  Juniper, 
we  had  hardly  been  in  it  at  all,  having  mistaken 
one  of  its  mouths  for  the  stream  proper.  The  hour 
was  growing  late,  but  this  new  river  seemed  so 
attractive,  we  were  so  sure  that  it  was  the  one  we 
had  been  looking  for,  and  that  it  must  lead  into  the 
lake  not  far  from  where  we  had  left  our  yacht,  that 
we  determined  to  descend  it  instead  of  retracing 
our  course  by  the  way  we  had  come.  Here  it  was 
that  I  fired  at  and  wounded  a  real  Limpkin,  as  I 
have  already  related.  AVe  went  down  with  the  cur- 
rent, having  in  the  broad  stream  a  good  chance  to 
use  the  oars.  The  sun  dropped  behind  the  trees, 
which  were  more  numerous  on  the  banks  of  this 
stream  than  they  had  been  on  those  of  the  other. 
On  and  on,  and  still  we  did  not  come  to  the  outlet. 
It  began  to  look  as  though  we  had  made  a  mistake, 
and  this  river  was  a  different  one  from  what  we  had 
supposed.  The  prospect  of  spending  the  night 
in  the  woods  now  forced  itself  upon  us.  My  coat 
was  thin,  and  already  the  evening  air  felt  chill ;  we 
could  make  a  fire,  for  we  were  too  old  stagers  to  be 
caught  without  matches,  but  the  thought  of  snakes 
was  not  pleasant,  in  spite  of  the  assurances  of  their 
rarity,  and  the  excellence  of  our  antidote. 

Charley  had  been  rowing  a  long  time  and  was 
getting  tired,  so  I  offered  to  *'  spell  "  him.  This  I 
did  till  the  sun  had  gone  entirely  and  darkness  was 


83  11?   FLORIDA. 

closing  in  upon  us  fast,  ^till  no  signs  of  the  lake, 
or  of  an  end  to  this  apparently  endless  river. 
Strange  noises  rang  through  the  forest,  cries  like 
those  of  wild  beasts,  but  such  as  we  had  never 
heard  before,  often  as  we  had  passed  the  night  in 
the  woods.  I  recalled  what  I  had  read  of- the  puma, 
the  dreaded  Southern  tiger,  and  realized  the  fact 
that  against  him  number  four  duck  shot  would  be  a 
feeble  defence.  The  noises  grew  louder  and  louder, 
the  forests  fairly  reverberated  with  the  unearthly 
screams  till,  when  one  more  than  usually  horrible 
burst  upon  our  ears,  Mr.  Green  inquired  with  a 
composure,  which  seemed  slightly  assumed  : 

''What  sort  of  an  animal  do  you  think  it  is  that 
makes  a  noise  like  that  ?  " 

I  had  never  heard  anything  so  appalling  in  my 
life  before,  but  was  not  to  be  outdone  by  my  asso- 
ciate in  coolness,  ancL. replied  in  a  hollow  mockery 
of  Jest :  V 

"That  ?  Oh,  that  is  a  Limpkin.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  of  that." 

To  this  reply  Mr.  Green  made  no  direct  response, 
though  his  face  intimated  that  jokes  on  some  occa- 
sions were  out  of  place.  The  unnatural  stillness 
of  the  country  made  these  noises  perhaps  more 
ominous  and  unearthly.  There  was  not  a  breath 
of  air  to  stir  the  trees,  no  ripple  or  current  to  the 
stream  which  might  have  diverted  our  thoughts  by 
its  musical  babble,  and  deathlike  silence  hung  over 
the  land,  except  when  broken  by  the  ringing 
screams.     The  night  was  getting  darker  and  darker, 


Ilf  FLORIDA.  83 

and  at  last  we  came  reluciantly  to  tlie  conclusion 
that  we  had  better  stop,  in  order  to  prepare  our 
camp  and  make  sure  that  there  were  no  rattlesnakes 
while  there  was  light  enough  to  do  so. 

"  Let  ns  go  to  the  next  turn,"  said  Seth,  who 
had  even  a  greater  dislike  than  the  rest  of  us  to 
spending  the  night  in  the  woods.  "If  we  do  not 
see  any  signs  of  an  outlet  there  we  may  as  well  give 
it  np." 

"Agreed,"  I  replied,  as  I  bent  once  more  to  the 
oars,  "let  us  keep  up  hope." 

We  proceeded,  but  with  little  expectation  of  any 
good  results.  What  was  our  surprise  and  joy  then, 
on  reaching  the  point,  to  behold  the  broad  waters  of 
the  lake  spread  out  before  us,  and  the  Heartsease 
lying  in  full  view  with  her  light  up.  The  sight 
gave  me  such  vigor  that  I  rowed  the  rest  of  the 
way,  although  Charley  announced  that  he  was  rested 
and  wanted  to  take  the  oars. 

In  spite  of  the  beauty  of  the  country,  there  is  a 
sense  of  desolation  about  the  wilder  parts  of  Florida. 
The  great  trees,  covered  with  moss,  and  many  of 
them  going  to  decay  ;  the  dull,  sluggish  rivers  with 
slow  discolored  current,  the  low  lands  never  rising 
above  a  shell-mound  of  twenty  feet  height,  combine 
to  produce  a  feeling  of  dreary  solitude.  This  was 
particularly  noticeable  on  the  journey  to  and  from 
Florida,  through  the  endless  swamps,  marshes,  and 
reedy  islands,  which  border  the  narrow  inland  pas- 
sages, and  was  only  occasionally  broken  by  passing 
a  town,  or  one  of  the  few  country  seats  that  are  to 


84  TN   FLOllIDA. 

be  found  on  the  unheajthy  shores.  Nor  do  there 
seem  to  be  many  water  fowl  on  the  Southern  Atlantic 
Coast,  until  you  pass  to  the  south  of  St.  Augustine 
and  reach  tlie  neighborhood  of  Indian  River.  In 
making  the  trip  to  and  from  the  St.  John's,  we  only 
saw,  beside  the  ducks  and  English  snipe  the  bay- 
birds,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  -a  number  of  the 
handsome  and  imposing  white  herons.  These 
stood  in  solemn  grandeur  on  the  shore  of  some 
creek,  and  seemed  too  glorious  to  shoot.  Occasion- 
ally, however,  we  could  not  resist,  and  had  to  mur- 
der them  for  their  loveliness.  Then  one  of  us  would 
hide  himself  among  the  reeds  on  the  shore,  while 
the  other  would  go  to  the  extreme  end  of  the  line 
of  stately  creatures,  and  put  them  up.  They  fly 
slowly  along  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  if  the 
sportsman  is  well  hid,  tliere  is  no  difficulty  in  get- 
ting a  sliot  at  them.  They  should  never  be  killed, 
unless  it  is  to  set  them  up  and  preserve  them,  as 
was  done  for  us  by  the  Doctor. 

In  Lake  George  there  were  millions  of  mullets 
jumping  continually  out  of  water,  like  dancing  sil- 
ver arrows,  they  would  not  take  the  fly,  or  trolling 
spoon,  and  as  we  had  all  the  fish  we  could  use,  we 
did  not  try  the  net.  We  visited  a  splendid  spring, 
called  by  a  name  which  seems  to  be  given  by  com- 
mon consent  to  most  of  the  sulphur  springs  of  Flor- 
ida, that  of  "  silver."  It  empties  into  the  lake  on 
the  western  side,  about  half  way  down.  A  bank  of 
snail  shells,  which  must  have  been  cast  up  by  the 
waves,  marks  the  outlet.    Many  of  them  are  in  good 


WILD   TUKKEY  TJtAP- 


IN   FLORIDA.  87 

preservation,  and  quite  pretty.  Several  sorts  of  fish 
were  swimming  liitlier  and  thither  in  the  spring,  and 
the  stream  from  it  was  filled  with  a  thin  green  moss, 
which  the  ladies  converted  into  a  becoming  head 
covering,  and  dubbed  the  '*  mermaid's  wig."  We 
saw  some  big  turtles  and  alligators  and  enjoyed  a 
bath. 

It  was  not  safe  to  take  the  yacht  through  the  nar^ 
row  and  crooked  river  above  Lake  George,  if  we  were 
to  limit  ourselves  in  the  remotest  degree  to  time,  for 
none  but  free  winds  would  move  us  either  one  way 
or  the  other,  so  we  had  to  leave  our  pleasant  aquatic 
mansion  and  descend  to  the  humdrum  of  the  little 
stern  wheel  steamers,  which  were  continually  pass- 
ing us,  and  throwing  up  fountains  of  water  from 
their  latter  ends.  By  the  same  means  we  explored 
the  Ocklawaha,  which  falls  into  the  St.  John's  fur- 
ther north.  The  vessels  are  adapted  to  Avinding 
round  through  the  circuitous  bends  of  the  streams, 
wliere  the  trees  nearly  meet  overhead.  In  order  to 
see  their  way,  the  pilots  have  to  build  fires  of  pine 
knots  at  night  on  the  top  of  the  pilot  house,  which 
gives  a  peculiarly  romantic  and  interesting  appear- 
ance to  the  scene.  On  the  way  we  saw  no  end  of  al- 
ligators and  forest  birds,  especially  the  famous  Limp- 
kin,  which  laughed,  yelled  and  Jeered  at  us  in  the 
security  of  a  regulation  which  forbids  the  discharge 
of  fire  arms  on  board  the  boats. 

But  we  had  to  be  getting  back,  if  we  were  to  com- 
plete our  explorations  of  the  rest  of  Florida,  so  as  soon 
as  we  could  finish  our  steamboat  travel,  we  hurried 


88  IK  FLORIDA. 

down  stream  once  more  to  Jacksonyille.  The  run 
outside  to  St.  Augustine  is  not  a  long  one,  but  this 
coast  is  more  dangerous  than  that  further  north. 
An  easterly  wind  strikes  it  more  heavily,  and,  the 
inlets  are  shoal.  Especially  is  this  the  case  in  the 
long  run  below  Matanzas  and  Mosquito  Inlets.  In 
fact  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  the  "words  of  a 
report  on  the  inland  navigation  of  that  section, 
kindly  furnished  me  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Hilgard,  the  effi- 
cient Superintendent  of  the  United  States  Coast  Sur- 
vey, to  whom  I  am  under  many  obligations  for  in- 
formation and  advice: 

**  There  is  no  inland  passage  from  the  St.  John's 
to  St.  Augustine.  You  must  cross  St.  John's  bar 
(with  eight  feet  mean  low  water),  but  must  take  a  i)i- 
lot,  as  the  channel  is  constantly  shifting  and  chang- 
ing in  depth.  On  the  Avhole,  I  would  advise  taking  a 
smooth  time  at  St.  Mary's  and  going  outside  all  the 
way  to  St.  Augustine.  There  is  excellent  anchorage 
off  Old  Fernandina  (but  a  short  distance  from  tlie 
bar);  and  the  whole  run  is  but  about  fifty  miles,  and 
can  be  made  in  a  few  hours. 

"  When  off  St.  Augustine,  a  pilot  will  take  you  up 
to  the  town.  There  is  nine  feet  on  the  bar,  but  it 
constantly  shifts.  The  famous  '  fresh  water  springs  ' 
in  the  ocean  are  situated  eight  miles  S.  by  E  lialf  E. 
from  the  '  entering  buoy '  of  this  inlet. 

*'Bound  to  the  southward,  Matanzas  River  carries 
you  from  St.  Augustine  through  a  distance  of  nearly 
thirteen  miles  to  Matanzas  Inlet.  The  channel  is 
winding,  but  has  deep  water  for  a  little  over  seven 


IK   FLOMDA.  B9 

miles,  where  there  is  a  seven-feet  bar.  Below  this, 
for  nearly  two  miles,  five  feet  is  the  least  water,  in 
a  crooked  cliannel  close  under  the  eastern  bank. 
Thence  are  depths  varying  from  nine  to  twenty  feet 
until  Matanzas  Inlet  is  reached.  The  route  to  the 
southward  leads  across  this  inlet  with  seven  feet  at 
mean  low  water;  and  on  entering  the  river  again,  on 
the  south  side  of  tlie  inlet,  you  will  have  but  six  feet. 
Matanzas  River  heads  in  the  midst  of  extensive 
marshes  between  five  and  six  miles  to  the  southward 
of  the  inlet;  and  but  two  feet  can  be  carried  through. 
*'  Beyond  this  there  is  no  navigation.  Wishing  to 
proceed  still  farther  southward,  you  must  retrace 
your  course  to  Matanzas  Inlet,  cross  the  bar  and 
skirt  the  Florida  coast  for  about  fifty  miles  to  Mos- 
quito Inlet.  Your  pilot  (for  you  must  have  ob- 
tained one  at  St.  Augustine  or  you  cannot  enter  at 
all)  will  take  you  over  the  bar  with  about  six  feet  at 
mean  low  water — the  mean  rise  and  fall  being  two 
feet.  Once  in  the  inlet  you  may  go  to  tlie  north- 
ward, through  Halifax  Eiver  to  its  liead,  twenty 
miles  above.  While  in  the  narrow  passage,  which 
extends  from  Mosquito  Inlet  for  over  five  miles  to 
the  northward,  you  will  carry  not  less  than  ten  feet; 
but  when  the  river  expands  you  will  find  shoal  water 
— the  depths  varying  from  tliree  to  nine  feet,  except 
in  occasional  deep  holes.  The  channel  is  very  nar- 
row, and  can  only  be  followed  by  the  stakes.  The 
small  settlements  of  Port  Orange  and  Daytona  are 
situated  on  the  western  bank  of  this  river.  Three 
feet  at  mean  low  water  can  be  taken  to  its  head,  but 


90  rN  PLORIDA. 

there  is  no  lunar  tide  after  you  get  above  the  influ- 
ence of  the  inlet — the  rise  and  fall  being  governed 
solely  by  the  winds. 

"  Going  southward  from  Mosquito  Inlet  you  enter 
Hillsborough  Kiver ;  Avhich,  through  a  winding 
course  between  fifteen  and  sixteen  miles  long,  brings 
you  into  Mosquito  Lagoon,  twelve  miles  to  the 
southward  of  the  inlet.  Two  miles  and  a  half  up 
Hillsborough  River  is  New  Smyrna,  a  pretty  little 
settlement  on  the  western  bank  among  orange,  fig 
and  banana  trees.  Nine  feet  may  be  taken  to  abreast 
of  the  village;  not  less  than  five  feet  is  found  :^or 
five  miles  beyond  New  Smyrna;  but  above  that  point 
no  more  than  three  feet  can  be  carried  through  to 
Mosquito  Lagoon; — although  there  are  deep  holes 
with  as  much  as  three  and  a  half  fathoms.  The 
cliannel  is  narrow  and  very  crooked. 

"Mosquito  Lagoon  is  wide  and  shallow — its  width 
ranging  from  one  to  two  and  a  half  miles.  It  has  a 
general  course  about  S.  E.  by  S.,and  is  between  fif- 
teen and  sixteen  miles  long.  A  bar  of  three  and  a 
half  feet  obstructs  the  entrance  from  Hillsborough 
Eiver;  but,  that  once  crossed,  a  good  cliannel,  with 
from  five  to  ten  feet  takes  you  to  within  two  miles 
of  its  head.  This  terminates  the  inland  navigation, 
unless  the  vessel  be  able  to  pass  through  '  Haul-over 
Canal.'  There  is  but  a  foot  and  a  half  water  in  this 
canal. 

"  Indian  River  maybe  entered  from  seaward  by  In- 
dian River  Inlet,  which  cuts  through  the  sandy  strip 
of  coast-line  about  one  hundred  miles  to  the  south- 


IN  FLORIDA.  91 

ward  of  Mosquito  Inlet  and  sixty  miles  below  Cape 
Canaveral.  I  would  not  advise  a  small  vessel  to  attempt 
to  navigate  this  coast;  as  it  is  very  dangerous  should 
the  wind  come  to  the  eastward  (which  it  often  does 
in  this  vicinity),  and  there  is  no  shelter  except  the 
precarious  anchorage  under  Canaveral.  The  bar  at 
Indian  Kiver  inlet  has  seven  feet  over  it  at  low  wa- 
ter, but  shifts  constantly  in  both  depth  and  position, 
and  can  only  be  crossed  in  the  smoothest  weather. 
Besides  the  bar  there  is  an  '  Inner  Bulkhead ' — so 
called,  over  which  there  is  but  four  feet.  It  is  said 
by  the  natives,  however,  that  by  taking  what  is  called 
the  Blue  Hole  Passage,  five  feet  to  five  and  a  half 
may  be  taken  safely  into  the  river." 

The  fishing  at  St.  Augustine,  which  is  a  quaint 
old  town,  said  to  be  the  oldest  in  America,  and  well 
worth  a  visit  in  itself,  is  better  during  the  winter 
months  than  any  to  be  had  north  of  it.  Plenty  of 
boatmen  can  be  hired  who  will  pilot  the  stranger  to 
the  best  spots.  Around  here  the  foliage  becomes 
still  more  tropical.  The  frost  will  occasionally 
penetrate,  and  the  most  famous  oranges  are  to  be 
grown  only  still  further  South,  on  the  shell  ham- 
macks  of  the  Indian  and  Banana  Eivers,  where 
single  trees  bear  as  many  as  six  thousand  of  these 
golden  fruit  each.  But  we  were  actually  tired  of 
fishing,  and  looked  on  complacently  with  the  pity- 
ing superiority  of  accomplished  success  at  the 
patient  anglers,  trying  their  best  to  kill  a  few  in- 
offensive finny  creatures  off  the  bridge,  across 
the  St.  Sebastian  Eiver,  or  bringing  triumphantly 


92  m-  FLORIDA. 

home  in  the  native's  ''dug  out/'  the  proceeds  of 
a  day's  hard  work  on  the  bay.  The  Doctor 
was  especially  indifferent,  and  excited  universal 
envy  when  he  told  of  the  wondrous  sport  we 
had  had  during  our  two  months  of  recreation. 
While  I  do  not  for  a  moment  intend  to  impugn  his 
absolute  veracity,  some  of  the  adventures  which  he 
related  had  passed  from  my  memory  or  had  grown 
since  I  heard  them  last.  He  would  make  no  more 
violent  sporting  effort  than  repeating  these  tales, 
and  preferred  to  sit  on  a  chair  upon  the  plaza,  re- 
tailing them,  with  the  encouragement  of  a  sour 
orange  punch,  or  wander  through  the  coquina  built 
Fort  Marion,  visit  the  old  Cathedral,  or  roam  the 
narrow  streets.  We  laid  in  a  supply  of  native  pre- 
serves, sketched  the  graceful  date  palm,  and  never 
ceased  wondering  at  the  odd  and  extravagant  beauty 
of  the  semi-equatorial  foliage  and  plants.  There  is 
interesting,  although  not  very  extensive  sailing  in 
the  harbor,  and  many  varieties  of  bay  snipe  to  be 
killed.  A  yachting  club,  which  will  show  every 
courtesy  to  brethren  from  the  North,  has  a  boat 
house  on  the  shore. 

The  further  one  goes  South  the  better  the  shoot- 
ing and  fishing  become,  and  I  would  advise  any 
one,  who  feels  as  if  it  were  impossible  ever  to  get 
enough  of  either,  not  to  stop  in  the  St.  John's,  or 
short  of  St.  Augustine.  There  he  can  spend  several 
weeks  profitably,  and  should  thence  go  on  South  to 
Halifax  Kiver  and  New  Smyrna,  Avhere  he  will  think 
nothing  of  catching  a  hundred  sheepshead  in  a  day. 


IN  FLORIDA.  93 

no  tiny  fellows  either,  but  Aveighing  from  six  to  ten 
pounds  a  i)iece,  or  half  as  many  channel  bass  of 
fifteen  to  twenty  pounds  each,  together  with  as 
many  sharks  thrown  in  as  he  has  stomach  or  tackle 
for.  By  the  way,  I  forgot  to  mention  that  among 
our  outfit  was  a  couple  of  shark  hooks  and  a  line  of 
a  hundred  fathoms,  as  thick  as  the  little  finger,  all 
of  which  did  good  but  rather  brutal  service.  Back 
of  New  Smyrna,  the  woods  are  full  of  venison  and 
bear  meat,  turkeys,  and  other  feathered  game.  The 
best  duck  shooting  is  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
lagoon  or  river,  but  the  bars  and  beaches  everywhere 
are  alive  with  bay  snipe,  herons,  cranes,  pelicans, 
and  a  thousand  smaller  birds. 

But  a  truce  to  this  everlasting  repetition  of  sport, 
which  was  growing  monotonous  even  to  Mr.  Green's 
insatiable  sporting  appetite,  and  turn  to  something 
pleasanter.  The  royal  lady  of  the  house  had  resolved 
to  give  us  such  a  feast  as  we  had  not  had  before. 
The  supplies  laid  in  at  St.  Augustine  enabled  her  to 
carry  out  her  idea,  but  the  selection  of  the  day  and 
date  for  the  event  was  a  mystery.  I  supposed  it 
must  have  been  to  celebrate  my  birthday,  which,  it 
is  true,  had  come  and  gone  six  months  before  ;  but 
as  it  had  not  yet  been  kept,  needed  commemoration 
as  badly  as  though  it  had  never  taken  place  at  all. 
No  matter  what  was  the  moving  inducement,  the 
banquet  was  worthy  of  it.  AVe  men  had  been 
smuggled  out  of  the  way  while  the  preparations 
were  being  made,  so  that,  while  we  had  a  general 
idea  of  the  drift  of  things,  we  had  no  conception 


94  11^   FLO  KID  A. 

of  the  gorgeousness  of  the  result.  It  was  not  a 
feast  fit  for  a  king  merely,  but  a  sufficient  banquet 
had  all  the  gods  been  invited.  There  were  raw 
oysters,  two  kinds  of  fish,  sheepshead  boiled,  and 
channel  bass  baked,  chicken  soup,  and  turtle  soup, 
from  turtle  caught  on  the  spot,  roast  wild  turkey, 
and  boiled  mutton,  scalloped  oysters,  venison,  and 
wild  ducks,  bay  snipe,  potato  salad,  peas,  tomatoes, 
beans,  and  baked  sweet  potatoes,  while  for  dessert 
there  was  such  an  array  of  goodies,  that  the  room 
in  my  log  book  was  in  danger  of  running  short,  and 
I  could  only  record  a  few,  such  as  fresh  cake,  straw- 
berries, spiced  figs,  and  all  the  preserves  and  spiced 
fruits  that  the  table  would  hold,  closing  with  cheese 
and  coffee.  The  only  wonder  was,  that  after  such 
a  dinner  to  which  our  appetites  and  our  loyalty  both 
pressed  us  to  do  more  than  ample  justice,  any  of 
the  party  survived.  If  you  have  doubts  of  our 
state  of  minds  and  bodies,  go  on  a  three  months' 
cruise  and  wind  up  with  such  a  dinner,  and  ''you 
will  know  how  it  is  yourself." 

Of  all  places  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Florida, 
the  Indian  and  Banana  Elvers  are  the  most  delieht- 
ful  and  interesting.  Here,  when  you  are  once  in- 
side the  bar,  which,  as  I  have  said,  is  a  little  peril- 
ous, there  is  room  and  occupation  for  a  winter. 
The  salt  water  fishing  is  mainly  near  the  inlet,  but 
in  the  tributary  streams  is  an  unlimited  supply  of 
the  fresh  water  varieties.  The  sailing  is  splendid, 
and  the  climate,  except  for  its  warmth,  delicious. 
By  the  time  the  reader  peruses  these  pages,  it  is 


IN"   FLORIDA.  95 

probable  that  inland  communication  will  have  been 
opened  with  the  Indian  River,  either  by  the  "  Haul- 
over/'  which  in  the  year  1883  was  only  twelve  feet 
wide  and  one  foot  find  a  half  deep,  or  from  the  St. 
John's,  by  the  way  of  Lake  Washington;  and  that 
there  will  be  finished  another  canal  from  Indian 
Eivcr  to  Lake  Worth  and  Biscayne  Bay,  making  a 
safe  and  easy  passage  round  the  keys  to  the  Gulf 
side.  This  was  to  have  been  done  when  we  were 
there,  and  if  not  yet  finished,  soon  will  be. 

Then  if  the  sportsman  is  not  yet  satiated,  or  if 
he  is  suffering  from  consumption,  and  wishes  to  re- 
gain his  healtli,  he  can  make  the  grandest  trip  in 
the  world,  by  either  sending  his  yacht  to  Jackson- 
ville, or  to  Cedar  Keys,  or  buying  one  there,  and 
spending  the  entire  winter  in  the  exploration  of  the 
southern  part  of  Florida.  As  it  is,  the  voyage  from 
the  Indian  River  is  not  difficult  or  dangerous. 
Numerous  keys  or  islands  make  a  shelter  from  the 
seas,  and  once  on  the  Gulf  side,  the  climate,  the 
country,  the  water,  everything  id  delightful.  Storms 
are  rare,  the  Gulf  is  generally  smooth,  harbors  are 
numerous,  and  the  shooting  is  unsurpassed  by  any 
in  the  world.  If  the  sportsman  does  not  take  his 
own  vessel,  he  can  go  by  railroad  directly  to  Cedar 
Keys,  and  thence  take  what  conveyance  he  prefers 
farther  south.  At  Cedar  Keys  small  sail  boats, 
suitable  to  those  shallow  waters,  can  be  hired,  as  well 
as  guides,  if  they  are  needed.  To  enjoy  a  visit  to 
Florida  in  its  full  scope  and  meaning,  and  to  make 
it  an  expedition  never  to  be  forgotten,  make  up  a 


96  IN  FLORIDA. 

pleasant  party,  hire  a  sailing  vessel,  and  her  master 
as  pilot,  and  coast  along  from  Cedar  Keys  in  water 
mostly  not  more  than  two  feet  deep,  between  forests 
of  primeval  wildness,  in  company  with  countless 
water-fowl  and  over  unnumbered  fish,  taking  toll 
from  turkey,  bear,  and  alligator,  as  you  go.  Sail 
around  the  Gulf  shore  and  Cape  Sable,  and  finally 
up  the  eastern  shore  of  Florida,  into  the  Indian 
Eiver.  Eemain  there  till  your  heart  is  glutted  with 
sport,  and  your  palate  with  fruit,  and  thence  return 
to  the  North  by  rail  or  boat.  Such  a  trip  makes  a 
date  of  delight  in  one's  life. 

On  the  Gulf  side  the  most  interesting  spots  are  the 
rivers  which  flow  into  the  sea,  the  Caloosahatchee, 
Crystal  and  Hamosassa,  all  of  them  full  of  fish  and 
game.  Alligators,  the  sport  of  killing  which  is  in- 
deed more  to  be  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  the 
observance,  are  so  abundant  as  to  be  almost  trouble- 
some. The  only  difficulty  with  Florida  is  that  the 
sport  is  excessive,  and  that  any  one  except  sporting 
gourmands  will  get  tired  of  it.  Even  Mr.  Green,  who, 
as  I  have  said,  is  almost  insatiable,  became  surfeited, 
the  Doctor  and  myself  being  long  before  content. 
The  voyager,  whether  by  sea  or  land,  must  bring  cer- 
tain books  with  him,  such  as  will  not  so  much  help 
him  pass  the  time,  as  assist  him  in  his  researches.  He 
will  find  a  thousand  things  to  amuse  and  occupy  his 
hours,  but  Avill  need  information  which  he  can  not 
obtain  on  the  ground.  The  vast  and  quaint  variety 
of  shells  which  he  will  pick  up,  the  new  and  curious 
birds  and  fish  he  will  kill,  but  above  all,  the  strange 


IX   FLORIDA.  97 

mass  of  tropical  flowers,  plants,  and  trees,  which  he 
will  meet  at  every  foot  of  the  route,  require  to  appre- 
ciate them  not  only  all  the  books  which  have  been 
written  specially  on  this  portion  of  our  country,  but 
a  well  selected  assortment  of  popular  botanical  and 
conchological  works,  and  ichthyological  also,  if  he 
is  not  up  in  that  subject. 

There  is  no  shooting  and  little  fishing  directly 
around  Cedar  Keys,  where  the  wayfarer  doth  very 
much  abound,  but  some  twenty  miles  south  Colonel 
Wingate  keeps  a  sportsman's  hotel,  and  he  can  en- 
sure the  land  traveller  a  good  time,  without  separa- 
tion from  his  family  for  an  extended  period.  His 
place  is  at  Gulf  Hammock,  and  to  reach  it,  the 
sportsman  leaves  the  cars  at  the  station  just  short 
of  Cedar  Keys.  From  his  house  parties  are  made 
up  to  explore  the  waters  further  south  with  the  aid 
of  boats  and  guides.  I  mention  his  place  because 
he  is  well  known  to  many  of  my  Northern  readers. 

I  have  spoken  mostly  of  the  coast  shooting,  be- 
cause it  was  what  we  mainly  had  in  view  in  our 
trip,  but  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  it  is  the  only 
kind  of  sport  to  be  had.  We  took  no  dogs,  but 
meeting  a  party  of  Northern  sportsmen  at  Gaines- 
ville, we  tried  the  quaih  The  sport  was  magnifi- 
cent, with  a  single  drawback.  There  was  no  trouble 
in  killing  seventy-five  birds  to  three  guns,  and  sev- 
eral times  the  bag  exceeded  a  hundred,  once  reach- 
ing a  hundred  and  six  ;  but  the  weather  was  so  hot 
that  it  did  not  seem  like  quail  shooting,  and  the 
true  exhilaration  of  the  sport,  as  we  Northerners 


98 


IN"  FLORIDA. 


knoAV  it,  .vas  lost.     Deer  are  plenty  every  where,  but 
to  hunt  them  to  any  advantage,  you  must  put  your- 
self  under  the  guidance  of  the  native  hunters.     We 
only  tried  it  onee,  and  then  could  use  hut  a  small 
part  of  our  venison  on  account  of  the  heat  o    the 
weather.     Bears  are  occasionally  shot ;  we  did  not 
see  any,  probably  because  we  were  not  loo^^^g  ^^^ 
them,  and  if  any  one  has  the  patience,  hecan  kill 
wild  turkeys.     Good  water-fowl  shooting  is  also  to 
be  had  on  the  uplands  in  any  of  the  mnumerable 
lakes  which  dot  Florida  from  one  end  to  the  other 
if  they  are  not  too  near  civilization.     A  very  capital 
house  was  kept  by  a  former  employee  of  Delmonico 
at  a  town  called  Waldo,  where  inland  sport  of  all 
kinds  could  be  had  in  reasonable  amounts,    it  seems 
almost  invidious  to  specify  particular  places    as  so 
far  as  I  could  judge,  therewas  shooting  and  fishing 
everywhere  off  the  regular  beaten  track  of  tourists. 
''Doctor,"  remarked  Mr.  Green  with  a  quiet  sub- 
dued intonation  which  long  practice  enabled  me  to 
recognize  as  malice  aforethought,   "Do  you  know 
what  bird  I  prefer  to  eat?" 

''  I  should  presume  from  your  past  actions,  re- 
plied the  learned  gentleman  thus  addressed,  -  that 
of  all  the  birds,  which  swim,  fly,  or  have  feathers, 
YOU  give  a  decided  preference  to  broiled  duck. 

-Especially,"  I  interposed,  in  order  to  head  off 
the  coming  attack  if  possible,  -  provided  that  the 
duck  is  cooked  over  an  open  fire  in  the  cabm  when 
the  rest  of  the  party  are  at  breakfast." 

'  Broiled  duck  is  good,"  Mr.  Green  responded,  un- 


IN   FLORIDA.  99 

crushed,  **  if  unreasonable  people  do  not  deprive  it 
of  its  natural  flavor  by  complaining  of  the  manner 
in  which  it  is  cooked.  But  there  is  a  better  bird 
than  even  a  wild  duck." 

"Yes," said  the  doctor,  "there's  the  woodcock, 
but  what  is  tlie  use  of  exciting  our  minds,  and  ag- 
gravating our  palates  by  referring  to  abstractions, 
which  cannot  be  realized  as  there  are  no  woodcock 
in  Florida?" 

"  There  is  a  good  bird  in  Florida,  the  very  one  I 
refer  to,  and  which  could  bo  killed,  if  a  person  was 
allowed  to  stop  on  hour  or  two  and  not  be  kept  for- 
ever on  the  move  like  the  wandering  Jew,"  persisted 
Mr  Green,  cocking  back  his  chair  on  its  hind  legs,  a 
favorite  position  of  his,  although  he  had  already  re- 
duced two  of  them  to  kindling  wood  by  the  operation. 

"You  don't  mean  bay  snipe!"  exclaimed  the  doc- 
tor in  a  disgusted  tone,  "we  have  had  enough  of 
them." 

"  He  probably  alludes  to  water- turkey,"  I  observ- 
ed quietly,  "he  has  tasted  every  thing  else." 

"  I  don't  mean  water-turkey  either,  although  for 
all  you  can  tell  it  may  be  a  good  bird  to  eat.  I  mean 
turkey  without  the  water."  With  that  he  brought 
the  front  legs  of  his  chair  to  their  natural  position 
with  a  thud  that  shook  the  deck. 

"  Turkey,"  shouted  the  doctor  with  enthusiasm, 
"  just  talk  turkey  to  me,  tell  me  where  and  when  and 
how.  I  would  swim  ashore,  if  there  was  a  chicken 
much  more  a  turkey  in  sight,  or  the  hut  of  a  darkey, 
who  might  have  either  to  sell." 


100  IN   FLORIDA. 

"  Well  then  suppose  we  go  ashore  and  kill  one,'"' 
remarked  Seth  with  quiet  complacency,  as  though 
such  a  feat  were  the  simplest  everday  occurrence  of 
life. 

That  settled  it.  "  Oh  dear,  I  should  so  like  a 
piece  of  turkey"  came  from  the  cabin.  "  Yes,  I  am 
so  tired  of  fish,"  was  was  the  chorussed  approval, 
and  although  I  felt  assured  that,  strangers  as  we 
were  to  the  country,  and  without  a  guide  accustom- 
ed to  the  work,  there  Avould  be  no  chance  of  success, 
I  had  to  give  in  and  come  to  anchor. 

Mr.  Green  got  out  his  rifle,  and  the  doctor  his 
breech-loader,  taking  a  dozen  cartridges  loaded  with 
buck-shot.  Our  head  man  Charley  was  to  accom- 
pany them,  while  I  remained  in  charge  of  the  yacht. 
None  of  us  kncAv  by  experience  much  of  the  habits  of 
turkeys,  and  as  it  was  still  early  in  the  day  it  was 
determined  to  start  at  once,  and  return  again  on  the 
following  morning  if  it  should  be  deemed  ad  visible. 

*'  Now,"  said  the  doctor,  ''if  we  only  had  a  tur- 
key call,  we  would  be  sure  to  succeed." 

"  Can  you  use  the  call?"  I  inquired. 

"  Oh  no,"  he  answerd  promptly,  "  but  I  dare  say 
Mr.  Green  can." 

Seth  said  nothing  when  I  looked  at  him  for  a  re- 
sponse, leaving  me  to  imply  what  I  pleased  as  to  his 
accomplishments.  I  had  suddenly  remembered 
that  I  had  one  aboard  among  some  old  shooting 
traps  which  had  been  thrown  in  together  as  a  sort  of 
refuse  addition.  Being  perfectly  confident  that 
neither  of  the  turkey  hunters  could  use  the  "  strange 


IN   FLOKIDA.  101 

device,"  it  was  with  a  malicious  pleasure  that  I  went 
below,  and  after  a  short  search  found  it.  An  odd- 
looking  affair  it  was,  which  I  had  once  been  able  to 
use,  but  time  had  utterly  obliterated  the  recollection 
of  the  way  to  manage  it.  At  one  end  was  apiece  of 
bone  about  four  inches  long  with  a  hole  through  it, 
and  a  larger  mouthpiece  of  wood  at  the  other.  Blow- 
ing through  it  had  no  effect  whatever,  as  I  had 
previously  found  out,  and  the  memory  of  the  proper 
labial  pucker  had  passed  from  my  mind  and  my  lips. 
I  handed  it  calmly  to  the  doctor  without  a  word. 
He  held  it  in  his  hand  regarding  it  with  puzzled  un- 
certainty, evidently  to  make  up  his  mind,  which  end 
was  to  go  in  his  mouth,  till  noticing  the  knob  on  the 
smaller,  he  correctly  concluded  that  that  was  the  part 
to  blow  through,  and  applied  it  to  his  lips.  Then 
he  blew,  at  lirst  mildly,  producing  no  result  other 
than  a  gentle  hissing  of  air;  he  increased  the  force, 
the  hissing  was  louder,  but  that  was  all,  no  sound 
which  by  the  most  vigorous  imagination  could  be 
construed  into  the  cluck  of  a  gobbler  issued.  He 
next  tried  to  pucker  up  his  lips  like  the  trum- 
peter breathing  into  his  trumpet,  but  with  worse 
effect  if  possible  than  before.  Dismayed  at  his  fu- 
tile efforts,  he  gazed  critically  into  the  end  as  though 
some  of  ^le  machinery  must  have  been  lost,  but 
finding  nothing  to  encourage  such  a  supposition,  gave 
up  the  attempt  and  held  it  out  to  Mr.  Green,  who 
had  been  watching  the  operation  with  interest.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  not  to  be  caught,  and  waving 
it  indifferently  aside  said  with  admirable  assurance: 


103  IX   FLOKIDA. 

''We  won't  need  that,  turkeys  are  too  plenty,  all 
we  shall  have  to  do  will  be  to  keep  our  eyes  open  to 
kill  as  many  as  we  want. " 

In  that  happy  state  of  confidence  they  departed. 
We  were  anchored  some  little  distance  from  the  shore 
on  account  of  the  shallowness  of  the  water,  but  I 
thought  I  heard  several  shots  and  wondered  what 
they  had  found  to  fire  at,  as  the  probability  of  their 
killing  a  turkey  was  too  slight  to  be  worth  consider- 
ing. Early  in  the  afternoon  they  returned  with  an 
air  of  curious  self  gratulation  in  their  behavior,  the 
manner  of  persons  who  had  done  an  act  on  which 
they  plumed  themselves,  but  which  would  bear  a 
good  deal  of  concealment.  This  was  noticeable  even 
before  they  had  reached  the  yacht,  and  prepared  me 
in  a  measure  for  what  followed — the  production  of 
a  fine  fat  gobbler  from  the  stern  of  the  boat.  Char- 
ley handed  it  up  to  me  with  an  air  of  deprecation 
quite  in  contrast  to  the  truculenco  with  which  Seth 
climbed  on  deck  and  exclaimed : 

"  There,  what  did  I  tell  you,  are  you  satisfied 
now  ?  Where  would  the  supplies  come  from  to  keep 
us  alive,  except  for  me.  You  would  have  had  us 
down  to  hard  tack  and  salt  junk  long  ago,  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  the  fish  and  birds  I  have  had  to  kill." 
Have  you  anything  to  say  against  that?  " 

I  was  examining  the  turkey  critically.  I  had 
heard  of  turkey  pens,  and  suspected  that  this  came 
from  one  of  them,  but  did  not  see  how  to  prove  the 
fact.     Its  head  had  been  shot  nearly  off. 

"  That  is  where  the  ball  hit  him,  and  I  call  it  a 


IK  FLOEIDA.  103 

pretty  good  shot  at  twenty  rods/'  continued  Mr. 
Green,  referring  to  the  wounded  spot. 

'^  Was  he  as  far  off  as  that?"  I  inquired,  as  I 
handed  him  over  to  be  picked.  I  was  not  familiar 
enough  with  a  trapped  turkey  to  detect  the  deceit  if 
there  was  any,  and  Seth,  seeing  my  inability,  made 
the  most  of  it. 

"  What  is  to  be  our  reward  for  the  hard  work  we 
have  been  doing  ?  I  tell  you  it  is  no  easy  thing  to 
stalk  a  turkey,  and  if  any  other  of  the  party  had 
done  as  much,  I  wouldn't  grudge  them  the  nicest 
sour  orange  punch  that  could  be  made." 

Turkeys  are  caught  in  parts  of  the  country  by  a 
curious  trap  or  pen,  and  I  had  heard  that  such  a  pen 
was  used  in  Florida.  It  is  built  of  logs  on  the  four 
sides  and  over  the  top,  a  hole  being  left  at  one  side 
Just  large  enough  to  allow  the  bird  to  enter  in  a 
stooping  posture.  Corn  is  strewed  on  the  ground 
leading  to  this  hole,  and  scattered  about  so  as  to  at- 
tract attention,  and  the  way  the  trap  works  is  this: 
the  turkey  finds  the  food  and  follows  it,  picking 
up  grain  after  grain,  keeping  his  head  bent  down, 
and  in  that  posture  enters  tlie  pen  without  trouble. 
There  he  remains  without  a  suspicion  of  wrong  till 
he  has  consumed  all  the  corn.  After  the  food  so 
kindly  supplied  is  gone,  he  begins  to  think  of  mov- 
ing on,  when  to  his  surprise  ho  discovers  that  man 
rarely  does  any  favor  without  expecting  a  return,  no 
less  in  this  case  than  the  toothsome  body  of  the  re- 
cipient. The  turkey  never  stoops,  even  to  save  his  life, 
he  looks  upward  and  not  downward,  he  will  not  bow 


104  m  FLORIDA. 

his  royal  head  to  escape  by  the  road  through  which 
he  entered.  Becoming  alarmed  he  springs  up,  dash- 
ing himself  against  the  logs,  he  thrusts  his  head  be- 
tween the  crevices  and  tries  to  fly  through  the  roof 
by  main  force,  but  in  vain,  the  pen  is  too  strong, 
and  the  only  method  of  escape  which  is  open  he 
will  not  condescend  to  take. 

Tlie  owner  of  such  a  pen  does  not  visit  it  regularly, 
and  the  turkeys  are  often  shut  up  in  it  for  days, 
frequently  falling  a  prey  to  wild  cats  that  find  them 
before  their  lawful  proprietor  comes  to  claim  them. 
My  unholy  suspicions  were  that  the  doctor,  the  Su- 
perintendent of  the  New  York  Fishery  Commission, 
and  the  captain  of  the  yacht  Heartsease  had  acci- 
dentally found  such  a  pen,  and  acted  the  part  of  the 
wild  cat.  For  although  I  could  see  nothing  suspic- 
ious about  the  bird,  it  was  strange  that  persons  who 
had  stalked  a  wild  turkey  through  a  dense  Southern 
forest  hardly  seemed  to  be  tired,  and  wished  to  sit 
up  half  the  night  to  smoke  and  talk.  Still  the  bird 
proved  to  be  delicious,  and  the  entire  party  were 
grateful  for  him  whether  lionestly  obtained  or  not, 
so  little  does  hunger  weigh  questions  of  morality. 

Two  days  after  the  turkey  adventure,  when  we 
were  sailing  along  before  a  mild  breeze,  Mr.  Green 
steering,  the  doctor  smoking,  and  the  rest  of  us  read- 
ing, Cliarley  suddenly  called  out  from  forward  where 
he  was  standing: 

'^  Look  at  that  large  bird  flying  over  the  woods  to 
the  west." 

We  all  looked  in  the  direction  indicated,  and  saw 


IN   FLORIDA.  105 

an  immense  bird  moving  grandly  and  steadily,  with 
slowly  beating  wings  and  extended  neck  and  legs. 

"What  an  enormous  creature/'  exclaimed  one  of 
the  ladies. 

**  It  must  be  a  rock,"  chimed  in  the  o'ther. 

"  Here  take  the  stick,  while  I  get  the  glass," 
saying  which,  Mr.  Green  let  go  of  the  tiller,  and 
plunged  into  the  cabin  to  reappear  with  the  binoc- 
ular, which  he  fixed  on  the  wondrous  bird. 

"  What  do  you  make  out  of  him?"  inquired  the 
doctor,  who  had  forgotten  his  pipe  in  the  excite- 
ment till  it  had  gone  out. 

"  It  is  a  crane,"  replied  Seth,  "  but  the  largest  one 
ever  I  saw.  Charley,"  he  asked  our  captain,  "  did 
you  ever  see  such  a  crane  as  that  before?  " 

'•  No,  I  never  did,"  was  the  answer.  "  It  must 
be  something  of  the  sort  however,  from  the  way  it 
flies  and  holds  i  ts  legs. " 

"  I  wonder  whether  it  can  be  the  whooping  crane?" 
I  inquired,  "  I  have  heard  that  they  are  occasional- 
ly seen  on  the  coast,  although  supposed  to  be  more 
numerous  in  the  interior." 

''Oh  can't  you  shoot  it,  what  feathers  it  must 
have  for  hats."  The  origin  of  this  remark  was  ob- 
vious. 

*'  If  you  want  feathers  a  yard  long!  Why  it  is 
nearly  as  large  as  an  ostrich. " 

"  Well,  don't  we  use  ostrich  feathers  ?  Oh  do 
shoot  it,  I  want  some  long  white  feathers. " 

*'It  is  a  little  too  far  off,"  I  replied. 

"  How  far?"  was  the  persistent  inquiry. 


106  Ilf   FLOEIDA. 

"  I  should  say  about  a  mile." 

"  That  is  the  way  always,"  was  the  disgusted  re- 
sponse, "  you  pretend  to  be  great  sportsmen,  but  you 
say  every  bird  we  meet  is  too  far  off.  If  I  knew 
how  to  shoot,  I  wouldn't  be  making  excuses  all  the 
time.  If  we  ever  come  to  Florida  again,  I  hope  Ave 
will  have  somebody  with  us  who  can  hit  his  mark, 
and  not  pretend  that  every  bird  is  too  far  off." 

At  this  the  fair  speaker  retired  below  just  as  the 
crane  disappeared  over  the  distant  trees. 

It  was  several  days  after  this  occurrence  that  we 
saw  what  we  took  to  be  another  whooping  crcene 
standing  at  the  edge  of  the  water,  not  far  from  some 
bushes.  He  was  quite  white,  and  towered  up  against  a 
back  ground  of  grass  and  sand-bar  till  his  head  seem- 
ed to  come  in  line  with  the  trees  beyond,  and  his  body 
to  be  as  tall  as  that  of  a  man.  The  yacht  was  slow- 
ly approaching  him  by  the  aid  of  a  light  breeze,  and 
Mr.  Green  was  growing  more  excited  the  nearer  we 
came.  The  crane  stood  motionless,  not  alarmed  at 
the  bigger  bird,  which  was  gradually  swooping  down 
upon  him,  and  apparently  quite  tame. 

Mr.  Green  had  redeemed  his  reputation  with  the 
rifle  of  late,  my  sarcasm  about  the  Limpkin,  and 
some  ironical  allusions  from  the  doctor  liad  improv- 
ed his  aim,  so  that  we  no  longer  emiled  incredulously 
when  he  brought  out  his  rifle.  In  fact  he  was  a 
splendid  shot,  as  his  innumerable  prizes  taken  at 
tournaments  abundantly  proved,  but  the  motion  of 
the  yacht  had  at  first  unsettled  his  aim.  There  was 
not  more  than  half  a  mile  between  us  and  the  bird, 


IN   PLORIDA.  109 

which  seemed  to  loom  up  higher  and  higher  as  we 
approached, 

''Hadn't  we  better  make  sure  of  him,"  asked 
Seth  anxiously,"  Ave  may  never  have  such  another 
chance.     You  tell  me  these  cranes  are  very  scarce!" 

''Perhaps  we  had,"  I  answered,"  what  do  you 
think  we  had  better  do  ?  " 

'*By  all  means,"  interrupted  the  doctor,  who  was 
roused  out  of  his  usual  equanimity,  "let  us  make 
every  effort  to  kill  him  as  a  specimen.  They  are 
exceedingly  rare." 

"  If  you  lay  to,"  replied  Seth,  "  and  let  Charley 
row  me  ashore,  I  will  get  behind  those  bushes,  and 
think  I  can  crawl  within  range  of  him." 

"  If  you  are  willing  to  take  the  trouble  on  the 
chances,"  I  answered.  " Do,  Mr.  Green,"  begged 
the  ladies  both  together,  their  hopes  of  such  feath- 
ers as  had  never  yet  graced  bonnet  quite  carrying 
them  into  enthusiasm. 

Seth  did  not  consider  the  labor  of  crawling 
through  the  matted  dense  undergrowth  in  the  hot 
sun,  nor  the  danger  of  snakes  in  the  long  grass,  all 
that  he  saw  was  the  immense  bird  and  all  that  he 
wanted  was  to  kill  it.  In  a  moment  lie  and  Charley 
were  off  in  the  boat,  and  pulling  for  the  shore. 
Heartsease  was  luffed  up  into  the  wind,  and  lay 
motionless  on  the  scarcely  ruffled  water,  contrasting 
by  its  apparent  indifference  with  the  eager  excite- 
ment of  the  party  on  board.  We  watched  the  small 
boat  till  it  reached  the  bank,  and  was  hastily  con- 
cealed by  Charley,  while  Mr.  Green  disappeared  im- 


110  IN   FLORIDA. 

mediately  in  the  bushes.  Then  we  could  see  noth- 
ing further  except  the  big  bird,  which  had  not  been 
alarmed  by  the  preliminaries,  and  which  there  was 
now  every  probability  would  become  our  prize.  The 
ladies  were  in  their  hearts  already  priding  them- 
selves on  the  loves  of  bonnets  to  which  his  gorgeous 
attire  was  to  contribute,  the  doctor  had  already  dis- 
sected and  stuffed  him  in  imagination,  and  I  was 
wondering  whether  he  was  good  to  eat.  We  waited 
till  our  patience  was  more  than  exhausted.  Crawl- 
ing through  the  tangled  mass  of  a  Southern  swamp  is 
no  easy  matter,  and  wo  could  do  nothing  but  watch 
the  imposing  bird  standing  there,  unterrified,  and  as 
still  as  though  he  were  a  graven  image,  instead  of 
being  a  thing  of  beauty  and  vitality. 

Suddenly  he  gave  a  great  leap  into  the  air,  and 
then  fell  upon  the  sand  in  death  throes  which  had 
almost  ceased  before  the  report  of  the  discharged 
rifle  came  booming  over  the  water.  In  a  moment 
the  deceitful  calm  of  the  previous  moment  passed 
away,  we  hauled  aft  our  sheets,  and  swinging  round 
her  head,  got  Heartsease  under  way.  Charley  shoved 
out  the  dinkey  which  he  had  concealed  in  the 
bushes,  and  in  another  minute  Mr.  Green  pushed  his 
way  through  the  underbrush  to  the  side  of  his 
magnificent  victim.  When  our  boatman  joined  him, 
the  two  stood  for  some  time  gazing  at  and  handling 
the  crane,  while  we  waited  impatiently  for  their 
return. 

At  last  they  threw  the  game,  it  seemed  to  us 
irreverently,  into  the  bottom  of  the  dinkey,  and 


IIS"  FLOEIDA.  Ill 

pushed  off.  "We  awaited  their  approach  with  eager- 
ness, arising  from  the  fact  that  none  of  us  had  ever 
seen  the  American  whooping  crane,  and  were  proud 
of  being  the  participants  in  the  capture  of  one. 
The  two  fortunate  sportsmen  did  not  hurry  them- 
selves to  gratify  our  desires,  but  appeared  exceed- 
ingly at  their  ease,  and  it  was  not  till  they  had  nearly 
arrived  that  we  discovered  the  cause  of  their  indiffer- 
ence by  perceiving  in  the  boat  not  a  whooping  crane 
at  all,  but  an  ordinary  white  heron.  The  clearness 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  bright  rays  of  the  sun,  or  the 
nature  of  tlie  background  had  tended  to  mislead  us 
and  had  added  immensely  to  the  stature  of  the 
bird.  The  ladies  retired  to  the  cabin  hatless,  so  to 
speak,  the  doctor  was  for  throwing  the  deceiver  over- 
board instead  of  skinning  him,  and  to  this  day  I  am 
uncertain  as  to  the  taste  of  the  great  American 
whooping  crane. 

The  Indian  Kiver  is  so  shallow  in  places,  that  the 
direction  on  the  chart  of  Currituck  Sound  could  be 
applied  to  it:  "  Only  three  feet  of  water  can  be  car- 
ried, and  that  with  difficulty."  In  other  parts  it  is 
deeper;  it  varies  in  width  from  one  mile  to  three, 
and  as  a  general  rule  where  it  is  narrow,  it  is  deep, 
and  where  it  is  wide,  it  is  shallow.  Although  it 
approaches  nearly  to  Mosquito  Lagoon,  it  does  not 
join  the  latter  unfortunately,  and  a  canal  has  been 
cut  called  the  Haul-over,  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken.  In  the  Haul-over,  which  is  only  fourteen 
feet  jride,  there  is  but  one  foot  and  a  half  of  water, 
and  for  some  distance  below  not  much  more  than 


113  IK  FLORIDA. 

two.  There  are  many  rivers  emptying  into  the 
Indian  Eiver  on  the  west  or  shore  side ;  these  are 
generally  deep  and  full  of  fish,  and  well  repay  the 
explorer.  The  only  inlets  are  in  the  southern  end, 
Jupiter  Inlet  at  the  lowest  extremity,  and  Indian 
Eiver  Inlet  a  short  distance  above. 

Banana  Eiver,  which  is  rather  a  branch  of  Indian 
Eiver  than  a  distinct  stream,  is  in  places  broader 
and  deeper ;  it  connects  with  the  main  river  at  its 
southern  extremity,  and  by  Banana  Creek  at  the 
northerly  end.  The  creek  of  the  name  is  both  nar- 
row and  shallow,  and  can  only  be  used  by  small  craft. 
There  is  most  interesting  yachting  in  the  Halifax 
and  Hillsborough,  north  and  south  of  New  Smyrna, 
which  is  situated  on  the  Hillsborough,  about  three 
miles  from  Mosquito  Inlet,  as  well  as  in  Mosquito 
Lagoon,  which  is  reached  through  a  narrow  and 
tortuous  channel  among  innumerable  islands  from 
the  Hillsborough.  So  also  do  the  Indian  and  Banana 
rivers  furnish  safe  and  delightful  cruising  grounds, 
with  plenty  of  liarbors  or  shelter  for  even  small  open 
vessels,  the  only  danger  being  that  of  running  on 
oyster  shoals. 

A  narrow  strip  of  sand  separates  Indian  Eiver  from 
the  ocean,  and  the  yachtsman  can  occasionally,  by 
climbing  into  the  rigging,  see  the  blue  waves  of  the 
Atlantic.  On  this  bar  the  bay-birds  often  collect 
in  large  flocks,  and  may  be  killed  in  numbers  more 
than  needed.  They  are  of  the  same  kinds  which 
have  already  been  described,  and  are  found  in  the 
summer  at  the  North.     Bear  are  occasionally  met 


IK  FLOEIDA.  113 

with,  and  now  and  then  a  wild-cat;  deer  are  more 
plenty^  but  the  sportsman  will  be  fortunate  if  he 
finds  any  of  these  unless  he  goes  especially  after 
them. 

A  yacht-club  has  been  established  at  New  Smyrna, 
with  headquarters  in  Indian  River,  where  the  mem- 
bers expect  to  do  a  large  part  of  their  yachting.  An 
excellent  choice  was  made  at  the  first  election  of 
officers,  and  its  prospects  for  introducing  the  sport 
into  the  waters  of  Florida  are  promising.  The  presi- 
dent is  Mr.  Herman  Oelrichs,  and  the  vice  president 
Mr.  Girard  Stuyvesant,  both  of  New  York. 

In  extended  yachting  trips  there  is  often  trouble 
in  getting  fresh  water,  a  difficulty  which  is  increased 
at  the  South,  where  the  land  is  low,  and  there  are 
none  of  what  at  the  North  would  be  called  springs; 
the  ice-cold  jets  of  water  bubbling  from  the  ground. 
It  is  not  generally  known  that  sand  is  so  effectual  a 
filter,  that  drinkable  water  can  be  obtained  by  dig- 
ging down  into  it  almost  anywhere.  To  take  ad- 
vantage of  this,  and  for  many  other  purposes,  it  is 
advisable  to  carry  a  spade  on  board.  Water  so  ob- 
tained may  be  a  little  brackish,  but  by  boiling  ii,  will 
be  made,  if  not  quite  palatable,  at  least  healthy. 
Rain  falling  on  the  deck  is  apt  to  take  up  portions 
of  the  paint,  infinitesimally  small,  perhaps,  but  suf- 
ficient to  give  an  unpleasant  and  unhealthy  taste. 
On  the  western  keys  a  bush  with  a  peculiar  rich 
leaf,  easily  distinguishable  by  those  who  have  once 
seen  it,  often  grows  where  water  is  to  be  found. 

It  would  be  easy  to  go  on  recounting  the  attrac- 


114  IN  FLORIDA. 

tions  of  Florida  indefinitely;  there  is  always  some- 
thing more  to  say,  a  fresh  point  of  interest  to  speak 
of,  additional  beauties  to  describe,  other  and  still 
other  reasons  for  visiting  this  strange  and  delightful 
country.  There  is  but  one  way  in  which  even  a  slight 
appreciation  of  the  charms  of  Florida  can  be  ob- 
tained; and  that  is,  to  go  there  as  often  and  stay 
there  as  long  as  possible.  For  health,  for  recreation, 
for  sport,  no  place  in  the  world  can  be  compared 
with  it.  A  vast  portion,  that  of  the  Everglades,  the 
''Grassy  Water"  of  the  native  Seminoles,  has  never 
been  explored,  and  there  are  thousands  of  rivers, 
lakes,  and  ponds  which  have  rarely  been  disturbed 
by  the  presence  of  a  white  man,  and  which  would 
amply  reward  the  adventurous  spirit  who  would  ex- 
plore them. 

When  we  first  arrived  in  Florida,  the  flowers, 
which  its  name  promised  us,  were  not  to  be  seen. 
Deceived  by  the  temperature  and  a  thermometer 
that  recorded  rarely  less  than  eighty  degrees,  we 
failed  to  recognize  the  season  of  the  year,  or  recall 
the  truism  that,  as  all  nature  must  have  its  spring, 
it  must  also  have  its  winter.  The  climate  and  the 
foliage  were  as  summer-like  as  we  had  ever  seen 
them.  The  grand  orange  trees,  with  their  brilliant 
shining  green,  flecked  with  spots  of  golden  yelloAV, 
were  the  most  gorgeous  sight  that  our  eyes  had  ever 
beheld  in  field  or  forest.  The  moss-covered  forest' 
evergreens,  although  turned  slightly  brown,  were 
still  magnificent  in  their  richness  of  foliage.  There 
were  bare  limbs  here  and  there  of  deciduous  trees. 


I]S"  FLORIDA.  115 

but  their  nakedness  was  nearly  covered  by  the  un- 
fading leaves  of  their  neighbors.  The  shrubs  and 
undergrowth  were  as  bright  in  hue,  seemingly,  to 
our  uneducated  eyes  as  possible.  But  by  the  time 
we  Avere  leaving,  even  we  could  notice  a  decided 
change.  The  green  had  put  on  a  deeper  verdancy, 
the  brown  had  disappeared,  and  suddenly  there 
sprang  into  life  a  myriad  of  flowers.  The  yellow 
jessamine  covered  the  swamps  and  filled  them  with 
a  mass  of  perfume  as  well  as  an  array  of  loveliness. 
Scarlet  lobelias  thrust  their  bright  heads  boldly 
from  the  water-side,  along  with  white  lilies  and 
arrow-heads,  and  on  the  higher  grounds  hundreds 
of  wild  flowers,  many  of  which  we  could  not  name, 
charmed  us  with  their  beauty.  The  magnificent 
magnolia  was  bursting  into  bud.  As  the  orange 
trees  were  being  denuded  of  their  ripe  fruit,  the  tiny 
sweet  smelling  blossoms  made  their  appearance,  till 
the  branches  bore  at  one  and  the  same  time,  buds, 
flowers,  and  green  and  ripe  fruit.  The  inland  lakes 
and  ponds  were  covered  with  pond  lilies,  which  are 
called  ''bonnets"  by  the  natives,  and  made  a  deli- 
cious picture  with  the  broad  green  leaves  and  the 
bright  yellow  flowers.  Language  fails  in  describing 
the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  verdure  of  the  country. 
"We  found  Florida  laden  with  fruit ;  we  left  it  cov- 
ered with  flowers. 


CHAPTER  III. 

CURRITUCK   MARSHES. 

Duck  shooting  has  held  its  own  better  than  any 
other  kind  of  sport  in  the  States  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Ruffed  grouse  have  almost  disappeared,  wood- 
cock have  grown  scarcer  and  scarcer,  English-snipe 
visit  us  less  abundantly,  while  the  bay-birds  have 
nearly  ceased  to  be  in  sections  where  they  were  once 
overwhelmingly  abundant,  but  it  is  possible  still,  on 
Lake  Erie,  along  the  coast,  and  at  many  inland  places 
to  make  a  fair,  if  not,  as  often  happens,  an  ex- 
cellent bag,  of  ducks.  But  the  best  place,  one  where 
the  birds  seem  to  exist  in  their  original  abundance, 
and  where  magnificent  shooting  is  still  to  be  had,  is 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  North-Carolina.  Of  this 
favored  locality  Currituck  is  the  most  famous.  So 
celebrated  is  this  county  that  the  entire  marshes, 
the  duck-haunted  lowlands,  have  been  purchased, 
and  to-day  there  is  absolutely  no  free  shooting  to  be 
had.  A  stranger  is  as  thoroughly  debarred  as  if  he 
were  in  the  most  barren  portion  of  our  land.  No 
one  is  allowed  to  shoot  from  a  battery  unless  he  is  a 
native,  and  to  get  a  chance  to  go  out  at  all  after  the 
innumerable  flocks  of  wild-fowl  that  temptingly 
cover  the  water,  the  visitor  must  belong  to  one  of 
the  numerous  sporting  clubs  which  have  so  wisely 
and  assiduously  secured  all  the  shooting  grounds,  and 


CURRITUCK  MARSHES.  117 

most  of  which  are  so  particular  that  they  exclude  in- 
vited guests. 

But  if  you  are  one  of  the  favored  shareholders  you 
can  have  a  glorious  time.  Fifty  ducks  a  day  to  each 
gun  is  no  unusual  average,  and  while  a  hundred 
is  a  large  bag,  a  hundred  and  fifty  is  nothing  uncom- 
mon, and  as  many  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  have 
been  killed  by  a  sportsman  and  his  gunner  in  a  single 
day.  Moreover  the  birds  are  of  the  best  possible 
kind  ;  there  are  canvas-backs  in  the  open  water,  red- 
heads in  still  greater  abundance,  and  broad-bills  or 
blue-bills  so  plenty  that  they  arc  rarely  shot  at, 
while  in  the  pond  holes  black-ducks,  mallards,  and 
widgeons  abound.  These  are  all  well-fed  and  fat, 
and  such  a  thing  as  a  poor  duck  is  unknown.  The 
law  wisely  forbids  shooting  before  sunrise  or  after 
sunset,  and  the  club  members  are  wise  enough  to 
keep  the  law,  knowing  as  they  do  that  one  gun  fired 
after  sunset  is  more  injurious  than  a  dozen  during 
the  day,  so  that  the  ducks  do  not  seem  to  diminish 
but  rather  to  increase  and  multiply,  and  as  fine  a  day's 
sport  has  been  had  by  the  members  of  the  club  dur- 
ing the  past  few  years  as  at  any  time  in  the  history 
of  the  country.  A  result  partly  due  to  breech-load- 
ers perhaps,  while  from  a  battery  it  is  nothing  un- 
usual to  kill  a  hundred  brace  of  red-heads  or  canvas- 
backs,  and  some  times  twice  as  many. 

This  favored  spot  is,  as  it  ought  to  be,  of  no  easy 
access.  The  sportsmen  must  first  go  to  Norfolk  and 
thence  take  either  the  little  steamboat  Cygnet,  en- 
deared to  so  many  of  us  by  the  memory  of  pleasant 


118  CUERITUCK  MARSHES. 

excursions  in  the  past,  or  travel  by  a  new  railroad 
just  finished  which  passes  twenty  miles  from  the 
traveller's  destination,  a  place  known  from  the  name 
of  the  enterprising  widow  lady  who  formerly  owned 
it,  as  Van  Slyck's  Landing.  By  boat  the  entire 
day  is  spent  in  the  journey,  and  by  rail  it  is  not 
much  shorter,  but  the  boat  arrives  so  late  that  it  is 
not  always  possible  to  make  the  trip  across  from  the 
landing  to  the  club  house  the  same  night.  Opposite 
Van  Slyck's  are  the  two  most  famous  and  successful 
sporting  clubs  in  that  section  of  the  United  States, 
the  Currituck  and  the  Palmer's  Island  clubs.  They 
own  or  control  immense  tracts  of  land,  and  below 
them  to  the  southward  the  bay  widens  out  so  that 
there  is  no  chance  to  kill  ducks  to  advantage. 
There  are  a  few  good  stands  at  Kitty  Hawk  Bay, 
thirty  miles  furtlier  south,  and  at  the  lower  end 
of  Eoanoke  Island  Eaft  ducks  can  be  shot  from 
batteries.  Then  again  along  the  eastei'n  shore  of 
Pamlico  Sound,  at  Hatteras  and  Ocracoke  inlets  and 
in  the  western  part  of  Core  Sound,  to  the  south  of 
Harker's  Island,  there  is  good  duck,  and  in  its  season 
brant  shooting,  but  these  places  can  only  be  reached 
by  the  fortunate  sportsman  who  has  his  own  private 
conveyance.  Therefore  it  may  practically  be  said 
that  the  Palmer  Island  marshes  are  the  ultima  thule 
of  duck  shooting. 

As  a  general  thing,  there  is  attached  to  every 
sporting  club  some  old  experienced  gunner  full  of 
wild-fowl  lore  and  quaint  and  curious  phrases,  who 
is  a  mine  of  interesting  information  to  him  who  will 


CURRITUCK   MARSHES.  119 

explore  the  vein.  Such  a  one  belonged  to  the  Pal- 
mer Island  club,  in  the  person  of  William  S.  Foster, 
a  resident  of  Long  Island,  who  had  followed  Shinne- 
cock  Bay  for  many  years,  knew  the  ways  and  habits 
of  the  birds  as  well  as  if  he  were  one  of  them,  and 
was  as  fond  of  shooting  as  the  most  inveterate 
sportsman.  Honest  to  a  farthing,  faithful,  anxious 
to  give  the  person  he  was  with  the  best  sport  he 
could,  he  was  ready  to  take  any  amount  of  trouble, 
endure  any  labor  for  a  good  day  among  the  ducks, 
the  members  of  the  club  looked  on  him,  rather  as  a 
friend  than  a  paid  employee.  Many  is  the  hour  I 
have  spent  with  him  on  the  Currituck  marshes, 
many  a  day  of  splendid  shooting  have  I  had,  many 
the  big  bag  have  I  made  with  his  aid.  One  of  his 
peculiarities  was  that  he  never  wa?  in  a  hurry.  No 
matter  how  thick  the  birds  were,  how  easy  it  seemed 
to  choose  a  point,  he  would  stand  quietly  in  the  bow 
of  the  boat  with  the  sea-glass  in  his  hand  scanning 
the  movements  of  the  flocks  and  deliberately  select- 
ing the  best  place.  I  would  often  grow  impatient 
and  fear  he  was  losing  valuable  time,  but  the  result 
rarely  failed  to  justify  his  judgment  and  vindicate 
his  deliberation. 

The  first  and  most  important  object,  as  he  explain- 
ed it  under  such  circumstances,  was  to  so  arrange 
the  stools  that  the  ducks  would  "  come  right,"  that 
is  would  approach  without  fear  and  would  offer  the 
sportsman  a  fair  shot.  This  is  a  matter  of  the  great- 
est moment  and  is  not  understood  by  men  who  con- 
sider themselves  expert  wild-fowlers.     First,  there 


120  CUKEITUCK   MARSHES. 

is  the  question  of  the  wind  to  take  note  of,  then  the 
position  of  the  sun,  next  the  cover,  and  last,  but  by 
no  means  least,  the  nature  of  the  species  of  ducks 
that  are  flying.  It  will  not  do  to  string  out  the  de- 
coys dead  to  lee- ward  of  a  point  as  is  so  often  seen, 
except  perhaps  when  canvas-backs  and  red-heads  are 
alone  expected,  mallards,  sprigtails,  and  especially 
the  wary  black-duck  will  never  or  rarely  approach  a 
point.  If  a  point,  with  the  wind  blowing  directly 
off  from  it  has  to  be  chosen,  it  is  better  to  stretch 
the  decoys  around  to  one  side  of  it  so  that  the  wind 
*' will  catch  the  birds  under  the  wing"  as  he  expressed 
it  and  swing  them  in  farther  than  they  expected. 
Points  projecting  far  out  into  the  open  water  are 
the  favorites  of  tyro  gunners,  but  they  are  especially 
unsuited  for  any  of  the  marsh  ducks,  the  black- 
ducks,  mallards,  sprigtails,  and  even  the  widgeons, 
all  of  which  give  a  wide  berth  to  such  spots,  espe- 
cially after  they  have  been  shot  at  a  few  times,  and 
most  of  which  prefer  to  alight  close  under  the  lee 
of  a  bank,  in  the  "^slick"  as  it  is  called. 

There  arctwo  great  divisions  of  ducks,  the  deep 
water,  diving  or  raft  ducks,  and  the  shoal  water  or 
marsh  ducks,  which  reach  down  for  their  food  and 
can  never  feed  in  water  more  than  two  feet  deep. 
The  habits  of  these  two  varieties  are  remarkably  dis- 
similar. The  open-water  birds,  fearless  of  ambush, 
are  less  timid  than  their  pond-loving  brethren,  who 
dread  an  enemy  in  every  tuft  of  grass  or  bunch  of 
reeds,  when  canvas-backs  once  make  up  their  minds 
to  come  to  the  stools,  they  come  straight  on  regard- 


CURRITUCK    MARSHES.  121 

less  of  deficiences  in  the  gunner's  blind,  and  very  fre- 
quently pass  completely  over  the  stools.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  black-duck  in  approaching  the  stand 
is  a  model  of  caution,  he  is  all  eyes  and  ears,  the 
slightest  movement  by  the  sportsman,  the  least  evi- 
dence of  danger  will  arouse  his  suspicions,  and  he  will 
veer  suddenly  off.  Black-ducks  and  mallards  rarely 
cross  the  stools  to  alight  at  the  head  of  them,  but  if 
they  reach  them  at  all,  drop  in  at  the  lower  end,-  or 
more  often  stop  short  and  alight  at  a  distance  just 
tantalizingly  out  of  shot,  where  they  remain  to  lure 
off  every  fresh  arrival  unless  they  are  driven  away. 
Their  noses  are  especially  keen,  and  care  must  be 
taken  to  so  arrange  the  stand  that  the  wind  will  not 
carry  the  scent  of  the  gunner  across  the  water  to  the 
lee-ward  of  the  decoys,  and  the  birds  get  it  before 
they  reach  them.  If  they  come  in  contact  with  such 
a  warning  they  jump  into  the  air  as  if  they  had  been 
shot  at,  and  flee  with  all  the  speed  that  terror  can 
lend  to  their  usually  vigorous  wings.  It  is  desirable 
to  set  the  stools  under  the  lee  of  a  bank  of  reeds  or 
rushes,  for  none  of  this  class  of  ducks  likes  the  open 
water,  and  the  most  convenient  plan  is  to  place  the 
stools  to  one  side  of  the  stand,  quartering  as  it  were 
across  the  wind,  so  that  even  if  the  birds  alight  be- 
fore actually  reaching  them,  they  may  be  within 
gun-shot. 

The  location  of  the  stand  is  most  important.  I 
remember  once  when  I  was  shooting  from  what  is 
known  in  the  club  as  "Kidder's  Point,"  that  I  was 
particularly  impressed  with  this  fact.     The  day  had 


122  CUERITUCK  MABSHES.   ^ 

been  dull  and  rather  quiet,  with  but  a  few  birds  stir- 
ring all  through  the  morning  ;  a  haze  lay  upon  the 
marshes,  not  dense  enough  to  prevent  the  ducks  fly- 
ing if  they  liad  been  so  minded,  which  they  did  not 
seem  to  be,  the  wind  scarcely  stirred  the  reeds  or 
rippled  the  surface  of  the  bay,  which  was  spread  out 
before  me.  1  was  making  a  poor  bag  and  hardly  ex- 
pected to  do  better,  when  about  midday  there  came 
a  change  over  the  spirit  of  the  earth  and  air,  the 
clouds  began  to  condense,  the  wind  commenced  to 
blow,  the  air  became  rapidly  colder,  a  thin  steak  of 
gray  faintly  marked  the  sky  in  the  nothwest,  while 
in  the  south  the  clouds  grew  blacker  and  denser. 
Then  the  rain  fell  in  spits  and  flurries  viciously. 
The  atmosphere  intimated  a  decided  change  in  the 
weather,  which  the  ducks  were  the  first  to  recognize 
and  regulate  their  proceedings  by.  Evidently  a  vast 
mass  of  widgeons  were  bedded  to  the  lee-ward  of  us. 
They  commenced  to  fly  not  in  their  individual  capac- 
ity, but  as  the  part  of  a  great  movement,  as  if  sud- 
denly they  had  made  up  their  minds  all  to  go.  In 
whisps  of  threes,  fours,  tens,  twenties,  in  large  flocks, 
or  solitary  and  alone,  they  came  heading  towards  me 
directly  across  the  marsh  and  visible  for  miles. 
Then  it  was  that  I  learned  that  I  was  not  in  exactly 
the  right  place,  that  the  birds  for  some  reason  best 
known  to  themselves  did  not  care  to  cross  that  spot 
in  their  migration.  Most  of  them,  especially  the 
largest  flocks,  passed  outside  of  me  and  just  beyond 
the  range,  of  my  gun.  I  was  in  the  wrong  place,  I 
knew  it,  but  I  had  no  time  to  move,  the  ducks 


h 


CUKRITtJOK  MAESSES.  125 

were  flying  too  fast  and  too  many  of  them  came  with- 
in range  as  it  was  for  me  to  lose  the  time  necessary 
for  a  change.  The  rain  that  was  falling,  although 
not  heavy,  interfered,  and  would  have  wet  our  guns 
and  clothes  which  were  pretty  well  protected  so  long 
as  we  remained  still.  So  we  stayed  where  we  were, 
and  as  it  was  the  sport  was  splendid.  The  entire 
mass  of  widgeons  had  determined  to  change  their 
feeding  grounds,  and  that  at  once,  there  was  no  mo- 
ment when  some  of  them  were  not  visible  in  the  air, 
they  came  from  one  quarter  and  flew  in  one  direc- 
tion. I  had  learned  to  whistle  for  widgeon  as  well 
as  a  professional,  and  did  my  best  with  the  aid  of 
William  Foster  to  inveigle  them  within  range.  Very 
often  we  were  succsssf ul,  and  it  was  an  afternoon  of 
excitement.  Not  a  minute  passed  that  we  did  not 
have  the  prospect  of  a  shot,  and  although  the 
larger  flocks  mostly  kept  on  their  course  outside 
of  us,  the  smaller  whisps  and  the  single  ones  came 
in  freely. 

"  Why  is  it  that  the  birds  seem  to  be  all  moving 
at  once  ?"  I  asked  of  William  during  the  first  mo- 
ment of  partial  leisure  that  we  had,  "and  why  are 
they  all  going  in  the  same  direction  ?" 

"  It  is  a  question  of  food  with  them,"  he  replied, 
"as  is  the  case  with  most  other  animals.  Widgeon 
can  only  get  their  food  by  reaching  down  for  it,  so 
they  must  keep  where  the  water  is  not  over  their 
heads  ;  that  is  so  that  they  can  touch  bottom  Avith 
their  bills  by  tipping  up,  as  you  have  of  ten  seen  tame 
ducks  do.     Now  in  these  shallow  marshes  a  chansre 


126  CtTRRITUCK  MARSHES. 

of  wind  means  a  change  of  depth  of  water,  it  is  shal- 
lower to  windward,  the  water  being  piled  up  to  lee- 
ward and  the  ducks,  knowing  this,  fly  against  the 
wind,  all  the  shoal  feeding  birds  do  so.  The 
canvas-backs,  red-heads,  and  broad -bills  make  little 
account  of  the  wind." 

"  But,"  I  answered,  "  this  wind  cannot  as  yet  have 
affected  the  depth  of  water." 

'^No,  but  the  birds  know  that  it  soon  will,  and 
they  are  getting  ready  for  to-morrow.  There  will 
probably  be  a  greater  change  than  we  expect,  wild 
animals  know  much  more  about  the  weather  than 
man  can  ever  learn,  they  have  a  sort  of  instinct  that 
is  given  to  them  for  their  protection.  I  have  always 
observed  that  the  ducks  sought  the  windward  side 
of  the  marshes.  If  the  wind  is  blowing  from  the 
south,  I  make  it  a  rule  to  go  to  the  southward  to 
choose  a  stand,  if  from  the  west  I  look  through  the 
western  marshes  and  so  on.  Of  course  I  am  not  al- 
ways right." 

*'No,"  I  interrupted  him  to  remark,  "but  we  have 
observed  that  the  member  who  goes  out  with  you 
generally  brings  in  the  most  birds,  so  the  results 
tend  to  demonstrate  the  theory." 

"Well,  I  have  studied  these  marshes  as  thor- 
oughly as  I  could  ;  there  is  not  a  tree  that  I  have  not 
climbed,  nor  an  island  that  I  have  not  explored." 

"Can  you  see  much  from  the  trees  when  you  do 
climb  them  ?"  I  asked. 

"Yes.  A  little  elevation  will  enable  you  to  see 
over  the  entire  marsh,  and  many  a  pond  hole  have  I 


CURRITUCK  MARSHES.  121 

found  in  that  way  that  is  not  known  to  most  of  the 
gunners,  aud  not  always  to  the  natives." 

*'Keep  still,"  I  remarked  at  this  point  of  our  con- 
versation, * 'there  comes  a  magnificent  flock  of  ducks, 
if  they  would  only  turn  this  way  what  a  shot  they 
would  give  us. " 

We  were  silent  except  for  whistling,  which  we 
did  with  the  finest  touches  and  the  utmost  skill. 
The  flock,  spread  out  against  the  distant  sky  in  an 
angle-pointed  line,  was  headed  directly  for  our  hid- 
ing place.  We  had  crouched  down  on  their  first  ap- 
pearance, and  grasping  our  guns  and  watched  them, 
waiting  with  increasing  impatience  and  anxiety. 
Nearer  and  nearer  they  came,  over  the  distant  marsh 
undisturbed  by  any  other  gunner,  and  unattracted 
by  other  decoys  until  they  were  directly  in  front  of 
us  and  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  distant. 
It  was  a  moment  of  intense  excitement,  for  if  we 
could  once  get  our  four  barrels  into  those  serried 
ranks,  there  was  no  telling  how  many  we  might  not 
kill. 

On  they  came  still  nearer,  we  whistled  more 
softly  and  they  answered  with  undiminished  confi- 
dence. Now  they  were  over  the  meadow  just  beyond 
our  stools,  a  few  minutes  more  of  the  same  course 
and  they  would  be  in  our  power.  But  alas,  just  as  they 
struck  the  open  water  they  deflected  their  course  a 
little,  not  much,  but  enough  to  carry  them  beyond 
fair  reach  of  our  guns,  so  that  when  we  fired  we  were 
only  rewarded  with  three  birds  that  plunged  from 
the  flock  headlong  into  the  water.     As  they  were 


13S  OtRRITUCK  MARSHES. 

being  retrieved  by  our  four  legged  companion,  Wil- 
liam sagely  remarked: 

"I  have  observed  that  generally  there  is  some 
misfortune  connected  with  what  would  make  the 
finest  shots,  and  that  at  such  times  something  is  sure 
to  go  wrong  ;  either  the  birds  do  not  come  in  right, 
or  a  twig  or  reed  gets  in  front  of  you,  the  gun  misses 
fire,  or  something  else  happens,  so  that  the  best 
chances  usually  prove  the  worst." 

*'  There  is  an  awful  deal  in  luck,"  I  replied,  "  after 
all  is  said,  Napoleon's  star  was  not  an  imaginary 
planet  by  any  means.  I  never  was  a  lucky  sports- 
man, and  have  had  to  earn  my  game  by  the  sweat  of 
my  brow." 

"Did  you  ever  know  a  sportsman  who  would  ad- 
mit that  he  was  lucky  ?"  inquired  William,  calmly. 

**I  can't  say  that  I  ever  did ;  but  if  you  will  keep 
still  and  not  fluster  me  with  unnecessary  generaliza- 
tions, I  will  kill  that  pair  of  widgeons  that  are  com- 
ing over  the  marsh,  luck  or  no  luck." 

After  uttering  that  boast,  I  had  to  make  my  words 
good,  and  though  I  detected  a  twinkle  in  my  com- 
panion's eye,  as  if  he  would  not  mind  should  I  hap- 
pen to  miss  just  that  once,  I  took  care  to  aim  straight, 
not  the  sort  of  excessive  care  that  invariably  results 
in  a  miss,  but  the  rapid  and  confident  deliberation 
that  first  holds  the  gun  right  and  then  pulls  it  off 
when  it  is  right,  without  waiting  until  it  gets  wrong. 

"Good,"  said  William,  sotto  voce,  in  his  quiet  way, 
as  the  two  ducks,  doubled  up  by  the  full  charge  of 
shot  came  down  splash  into  the  mud,  close  to  our 


CUBRITUCK  MARSHES.  129 

stand,  "I  have  seen  a  good  many  misses  when  a 
man  was  most  sure  of  hitting ;  I  hardly  expected 
that  you  would  kill  them  both  so  neatly. " 

The  sport  kept  up.  It  is  useless  to  describe  each 
individual  shot  that  we  made.  There  is  endless 
variety  in  every  one  that  is  fired,  for  no  two  birds 
come  to  the  decoys  precisely  alike.  There  are  never 
the  same  conditions  of  wind,  sun,  position,  readiness, 
and  what  not,  so  that  each  is  more  or  less  of  a  sur- 
prise. These  the  sjjortsman  enjoys  at  the  time, 
they  constitute  the  great  charm  of  shooting;  but 
they  would  tire  in  the  repetition  iu  the  cold  blood 
of  white  paper  and  black  ink.  It  is  enough  that  we 
had  a  magnificent  day's  sport;  "magnificent"  is 
not  hyperbolical;  we  had  sport  that  will  be  a  memory 
through  life,  and  until  the  age-weakened  arms  can 
no  longer  wield  the  faithful  fowling  piece,  nor  the 
time-dimmed  eyes  note  the  birds  approach.  Our 
store  of  game  lay  in  a  pile  uncounted  ;  we  knew  there 
was  a  goodly  number,  and  when  at  last  the  tired  sun 
had  performed  his  allotted  task  and  gone  to  bed,  we 
were  not  surprised  to  add  up  nearly  a  hundred  of 
what  is  one  of  the  finest  of  all  the  ducks,  tlie  hand- 
some little  widgeon.  Few  of  our  gunners,  even  the 
oldest  of  them,  know  that  there  was  a  time  when 
the  widgeon  was  valued  more  highly  than  the  canvas- 
back,  when  in  fact  in  firing  a  sitting  shot  the  market 
gunner  would  ''shew"  the  latter  out  of  the  way,  in 
order  that  he  might  have  a  better  chance  at  the  for- 
mer. Had  we  been  in  exactly  the  right  spot,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  I  would  then  have  reached  the  bag 


130  CtJRRITUCK  MARSHES. 

of  two  hundred,  which  it  has  been  the  ambition  of 
my  life  to  attain. 

On  another  occasion  I  had  the  same  misfortune, 
although  from  a  different  cause.  I  was  with  Jesse 
that  time,  Jesse  who,  or  Jesse  what,  I  cannot  tell. 
So  faithful  and  trustworthy  a  fellow  must  have  an- 
other name,  a  full  name  ;  but  often  as  I  have  availed 
m3'self  of  his  care  in  the  marshes  of  Currituck,  I  am 
ashamed  to  confess  that  I  have  forgotten  it.  Every 
one  calls  liim  simply  "Jesse,"  out  of  kindly  feeling 
no  doubt,  for  a  better  fellow  never  set  out  a  stand  of 
decoys  ;  so  as  simply  Jesse  he  must  go  down  to  the 
immortality  that  this  book  will  give  him.  He  is 
devoted  to  the  pleasure  of  his  employer,  and  never 
more  delighted  than  when  the  latter  brings  home  a 
fine  bag  of  birds ;  but  he  is  not  quite  so  skillful  as 
his  older  associate,  William  Foster.  He  had  observed, 
when  out  the  day  previous,  that  the  birds  had  a  favor- 
ite feeding  place  in  a  little  bay  near  Avhat  in  club 
nomenclature  is  designated  as  "the  horse-shoe." 
To  this  place  we  wended  our  way  as  soon  as  we  could 
cross  the  intervening  three  miles  of  distance.  The 
bay  was  not  large,  and  at  its  mouth  was  contracted 
into  two  narrow  points  which  were  hardly  a  hundred 
yards  apart.  1  had  never  shot  at  this  particular 
point,  and  Jesse  did  not  think  of  the  effect  of  the  sun 
when  he  made  his  selection.  One  point  was  prob- 
ably as  favorable  as  the  other,  with  that  exception, 
but  the  one  he  selected  brought  the  birds  directly 
between  me  and  that  luminary  when  he  shot  his 
burning  and  blinding  rays  from  mid-heaven.     The 


CUKRITUCK   MARSHES.  131 

result  was,  that  before  the  day  was  over,  reeds  and 
ducks  and  spots  swam  before  my  eyes  in  prismatic 
hues.  The  heavens  become  alive  with  them,  mixed 
up  with  grasses  and  flowers,  the  gorgeous  colors  of 
condensed  sunlight.  Scarlet  ducks,  golden  ducks, 
fiery  ducks  floated  before  my  bewildered  vision,  inter- 
woven with  such  flaming  reeds  and  rushes  as  were 
never  seen  by  mortal  eye  before.  To  say  that  under 
the  circumstances  I  could  not  shoot  with  my  accus- 
tomed skill,  is  unnecessary  ;  I  could  not  help  occa- 
sionally mistaking  the  flaming  bird  for  the  natural 
one,  and  no  doubt  would  have  killed  him,  had  he 
only  been  real  enough  to  kill.  This  was  the  second 
occasion  when  I  might  havo  reached  my  stint  of  two 
hundred,  if  I  had  only  been  so  fortunate  as  to  locate 
properly  in  the  first  place,  or  even  had  had  the  cour- 
age to  change  when  I  found  out  that  I  was  wrong. 

There  are  myriads  of  Avild  geese  and  swans  in 
Currituck  Sound  and  its  adjoining  waters.  The 
swans  are  hard  to  kill,  and  it  rarely  falls  to  the  for- 
tune of  any  sportsman  to  bag  more  than  two  or  three 
of  these  beautiful  birds  in  a  season,  but  the  geese 
are  shot  in  immense  numbers  on  favorable  days — 
"goosing  days,"  as  they  are  called.  Such  days  are 
made  by  a  southwesterly  wind  blowing  hard  enough 
to  constitute  a  gale,  and  the  harder  the  better,  which 
causes  the  water  to  rise  and  enables  the  geese  to  reach 
the  beaches  where  they  go  to  sand.  For  this  shoot- 
ing a  "  stand,"  as  it  is  called,  of  tamed  wild  geese 
are  required.  The  sportsman  hides  himself  in  a 
large,  water-tight  box,  which  has  been  sunk  in  the 


132  CrKEITUCK   MARSHES. 

sand  at  the  spot  wliicli  the  birds  frequent,  and  the 
"stand"  of  living  decoys  are  tethered  in  front  by 
stout  strings  fastened  to  their  legs  and  pinned  to  -the 
ground.  The  geese  come  to  the  stools  in  flocks, 
and  the  slaughter  at  times  is  enormous,  as  many  as 
two  hundred  being  no  unusual  bag,  and  that  is  often 
rounded  out  with  forty  or  fifty  ducks.  It  is  cus- 
tomary on  such  occasions  to  put  a  live  swan  or  two 
with  the  geese  decoys,  if  the  sportsman  happens  to 
be  so  fortunate  as  to  possess  them,  and  I  never  shall 
forget  seeing  four  swans  come  to  a  stand  which  was 
located  some  distance  from  my  own,  but  in  full 
view  from  it.  I  have  always  believed  that  birds 
could  converse  and  had  a  language  of  their  own,  and 
on  this  occasion  my  theory  received  confirmation 
strong  as  holy  writ.  When  I  have  sat  listening  hour 
after  hour  to  the  unceasing  conversational  cack- 
lings  of  geese,  who  appear  to  be  the  most  talkative 
of  birds,  I  fancied  that  I  could  almost  make  out  the 
words  they  uttered,  and  which  were  certainly  under- 
stood by  the  fowls  themselves,  as  the  dullest  observer 
would  be  convinced  by  their  actions.  Their  ex- 
pressions of  comfort,  their  mild  observations  about 
the  weather  may  not  have  been  quite  comprehen- 
sible, but  their  cries  of  alarm,  their  notes  of  warn- 
ing, no  one  could  mistake.  Ignorant  hearers  not 
versed  in  go'ose  language,  and  a  very  pretty  tongue 
I  have  no  doubt  it  is,  may  call  it  contemptuously 
"gabble,"  but  so  is  the  language  of  any  foreigner 
"gabble"  to  those  Avho  do  not  understand  it. 
In  the  instance  that  I  am  about  to  mention  with 


CURRITUCK   MARSHES.  133 

the  swans,  there  could  be  no  difficulty  in  under- 
standing every  word.  There  were  four  of  them,  the 
wise  father,  the  inquisitive  mother,  and  two  pretty, 
innocent,  dove-colored  cygnets.  They  were  sailing 
along  far  up  in  the  heavens,  away  out  of  danger,  when 
the  attention  of  the  young  ones  was  attracted  to  a 
nice,  gentle  old  swan  seated  happily  among  a  body 
of  geese  that  were  evidently  having  a  good  time  and 
abundant  food.  In  all  the  innocence  of  their  uncor- 
rupted  hearts  they  uttered  a  shout  of  joy  and  started 
to  join  him,  the  mother  who  was  curious  to  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  so  happy  a  combination,  fol- 
lowing eagerly  behind  them.  In  vain  the  cautious 
father  warned  them  to  "go  slow."  They  would  not 
stop  to  listen  or  to  heed.  On  they  flew  or  swam  after 
alighting  on  the  water,  giving  free  expression  to 
their  feelings  of  pleasure.  Louder  and  louder  grew 
the  warning  notes  of  the  head  of  the  house,  who 
hung  back  and  tried  to  keep  tlie  others  back,  but  his 
eftorts  were  useless,  the  young  were  guileless,  and 
the  foolish  wife  inquisitive.  He  was  too  devoted  to 
leave  his  family,  although  the  danger  into  which 
they  were  running  was  apparent  to  him.  Soon  his 
worst  fears  were  realized.  He  was  out  of  gunshot, 
but  his  wife  and  children  were  within  the  fatal 
reach  of  the  deadly  gun.  Several  loud  reports  fol- 
lowed one  another,  and  all  was  over.  In  an  instant 
he  was  childless  and  wifeless.  The  two  cygnets  were 
killed  dead,  but  the  mother  was  able  to  fly  a  hundred 
yards,  and  it  was  pitiful  to  see  him  go  to  her,  braving 
all  danger,  and  to  hear  his  cries  of  lamentation.    He 


134  CURRITUCK    MARSHES. 

could  not  save  her,  however,  and  when  the  boat  ap- 
proached with  a  gunner  to  complete  the  deadly  work, 
the  poor  old  swan  had  to  leave  her.  Still  he  kept 
circling  round  for  some  time  and  filling  the  air  with 
his  bitter  lamentations. 

In  wild  fowl  shooting  it  is  essential  to  learn  the 
various  calls  of  the  different  species  of  ducks  and  of 
the  geese  and  swans.  These  it  is  impossible  to 
reproduce  on  paper,  and  about  all  that  can  be  said 
is  that  the  raft  ducks  make  various  modifications 
of  the  word  "  pritt,"  if  it  can  be  called  a  word  ;  that 
the  widgeons  whistle,  the  geese  honk,  and  the  mal- 
lards and  black-ducks  quack.  Jesse  had  a  curious 
way  of  calling  the  shoal-water  ducks  by  uttering  in 
rapid  succession  the  word  "  Kek-kekkek,  kek-kek- 
kek-kek  ;"  and  lie  seemed  to  attract  them  as  well  as 
the  patent  duck-call  which  I  had  purchased  in  the 
gun  store  for  a  dollar.  For  black-ducks,  however, 
I  prefer  the  manufactured  duck-call,  and  in  going 
out  for  them,  I  cannot  too  strongly  impress  upon  the 
reader  the  necessity  for  tlie  utmost  caution  and  the 
most  careful  hiding.  When  shooting  at  some  small 
pond  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  marshes,  it  is  better 
to  only  use  one  or  tAvo  decoys  and  to  be  covered  en- 
tirely, except  for  a  single  opening  in  front,  just  large 
enough  to  fire  through,  overlooking  the  stools.  A 
single  tamed  wild  duck  for  this  kind  of  sport  is 
worth  all  the  wooden  decoys  in  the  world,  and  his 
quack  is  better  than  Jesse's  "  kek  "  or  my  *'  squawk." 
Some  gunners  can  set  up  the  birds  they  have  killed 
so  as  to  be  almost  as  natural  as  the  living  bird,  and 


CURRITUCK   MARSHES.  135 

to  deceire  even  the  elect,  but  it  is  not  an  easy  knack 
to  acquire.  Usually  such  imitation  stools  look  so 
fearfully  and  abnormally  dead,  that  they  would  drive 
any  duck,  with  the  fear  of  ghosts  before  his  mind,  out 
of  the  country.  It  is  only  the  most  experienced 
gunner  that  can  take  such  liberties  with  the  dead. 

At  the  North,  where  the  winters  are  colder  than 
they  are  at  Currituck,  it  is  customary  to  shoot  in  the 
ice.  No  waters  that  ducks  frequent  are  ever  en- 
tirely frozen  over  ;  there  are  always  what  are  called 
"breathing  holes,"  where  the  gunner  can  place  his 
stools,  and  which  the  ducks  frequent  for  food.  He 
dresses  himself  in  white  linen  over  his  other  clothes, 
so  as  to  be  as  near  the  color  of  the  ice  as  possible, 
and  he  uses  a  light  skifE  provided  with  iron  runners 
underneath.  This  he  shoves  rapidly  over  the  ice 
without  much  labor,  carrying  his  dozen  or  so  of 
stools  aboard,  and  using  an  iron-pointed  pole  to 
propel  himself  with.  He  has  his  oars  stowed  under 
the  narrow  deck,  so  that  he  can  row  across  open 
water,  and  h  safe  in  case  his  skiff  should  break 
through  the  ice.  When  he  has  reached  the  open 
hole  that  he  has  selected,  he  throws  out  his  stools 
and  cuts  a  place  in  the  ice  at  tlie  edge  of  the  hole, 
to  hide  himself  and  his  boat,  piling  the  cakes  that 
he  takes  out  alongside  of  him,  to  further  assist  in 
hiding  him.  Tlie  decoys  he  uses  are  black-ducks 
and  whistlers,  which  will  stool  to  one  another  indis- 
criminately. He  must  then  lie  down  on  his  back 
in  the  skiff,  and  no  matter  how  cold  he  may  be,  he 
must  not  move  or  stir.     Though  his  blood  chills  and 


136  CURRITUCK  MARSHES. 

the  marrow  of  his  bones  freezes,  he  must  bear  it,  for 
there  is  no  telling  at  what  instant  the  birds  may  dart 
down  upon  him  from  the  heavens,  as  they  have  a 
way  of  doing  without  giving  the  sportsman  the  least 
warning.  Shooting  in  the  ice  has  sent  many  a 
healthy  man  to  a  consumptive's  grave. 

In  closing  this  article,  let  me  give  a  final  bit  of 
wisdom  in  the  words  of  William  Foster.  It  is  well 
known  to  every  wild-fowler,  but  his  way  of  putting 
it  covers  in  a  few  words  the  whole  ground  :  "  Ee- 
member,  that  as  a  general  rule,  the  shoal-water  ducks 
go  with  the  shoal-water  ducks,  and  the  diving  ducks 
go  with  the  diving  ducks,  so  they  will  pretty  well 
stool  in  the  same  way.  Each  prefers  his  own  kind 
a  little  the  best,  I  think,  but  not  enough  to  make  a 
decided  difference,  provided  the  stools  are  of  the 
same  class.  AVidgeon  like  widgeon,  and  canvas- 
backs  will  only  stool  to  canvas-backs  or  red-heads, 
but  broad-bills  will  come  to  canvas-back  stools  al- 
most as  well  as  they  will  come  to  broad-bill  stools. 
Black-ducks  prefer  black-duck  stools,  but  sprigtails 
and  mallards  will  come  to  black-duck  stools  nearly 
as  readily  as  they  will  to  their  own.  Don't,  however, 
use  canvas-back  stools  for  black-ducks,  nor,  above 
all,  black-duck  stools  for  canvas-backs." 


PART  11. 

GAME  WATER  BIRDS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

GAME   AND   ITS   PROTECTION". 

By  the  ancient  law  of  1  and  2  William  IV.,  chap. 
32,  under  the  designation  of  game,  were  included 
"  hares,  pheasants,  partridges,  grouse,  heath  or 
moor  game,  black  game,  and  bustarfls." 

Hunting  and  hawking  date  back  to  the  earliest 
days  of  knight-errantry,  when  parties  of  cavaliers 
and  ladies  fair,  mounted  on  their  mettlesome  steeds 
caparisoned  with  all  the  skill  of  the  cunning  arti- 
ficers of  those  days,  pursued  certain  birds  of  the  air 
with  the  falcon,  and  followed  the  royal  stag  through 
the  well  preserved  and  extensive  forests  with  packs 
of  hounds.  The  term  game,  therefore,  had  an  early 
significance  and  positive  application,  but  was  con- 
fined to  the  creatures  pursued  in  one  or  the  other 
of  these  two  modes. 

The  gun  was  first  used  for  the  shooting  of  feather- 
ed game  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century; 
it  soon  became  the  favorite  implement  of  the  sports- 
man, and  was  brought  into  use,  not  only  against  the 


140  Game  and  its  protection. 

birdS,  but  the  beasts,  of  game.  The  huntsman  no 
longer  depends  upon  his  brave  dog  and  cloth-yard 
shaft,  but  upon  his  own  powers  of  endurance  and  of 
marksmanship.  Instead  of  watching  the  savage  fal- 
con strike  his  prey  far  up  in  the  heavens,  he  follows 
his  high-bred  setters,  till  their  wonderful  natural  in- 
stinct betrays  to  him  the  presence  of  the  game. 

Where  he  once  rode  after  the  yelping  pack,  sound- 
ing the  merry  notes  of  his  bugle  horn,  he  now  climbs 
and  crawls  laboriously,  until  he  brings  the  wary  stag 
within  range  of  the  deadly  rifle.  No  more  brilliant 
parties  of  lovely  dames  and  gallant  men,  chatting 
merrily  on  the  incidents  of  the  day,  ride  gaily 
decked  steeds;  no  more  the  luxury  of  the  beautiful 
faces  and  pleasant  companionship  of  the  gentler 
sex  is  to  be  enjoyed ;  the  ladies  of  modern  times — 
except  in  England,  where  they  occasionally  follow 
foxes,  which  are  rather  vermin  than  game— prefer- 
ring the  excitement  of  ball-room  flirtations  to  out- 
door sports  and  pleasures,  take  no  part  in  the  pur- 
suits of  the  chase. 

Together  with  the  change  in  the  mode  of  captur- 
ing game,  comes  a  necessity  for  a  change  in  its 
foi'mer  restricted  meaning.  Who  would  think  of 
not  including  among  game  birds,  the  gamest  of 
them  all — the  magnificent  woodcock ;  nor  the  stylish 
English  snipe,  nor  even  possibly  the  brave  little  quail 
— unless  he  can  be  scientifically  proved  to  be  a  par- 
tridge —which  is  at  least  doubtful!  Migratory  birds 
were  not  included  in  the  sacred  list,  and  the  quail 
in  England,  as  the  woodcock  and   snipe   of  both 


GAME   AND   ITS  PROTECTION. 


141 


England  nnd  America,  are  migratory,  although  the 
mere  temporary  character  of  their  residence  does 
not,  in  our  view,  at  all  alter  the  nature  of  their 
claims.  The  larger  European  woodcock  is  by  no 
means  so  delicious  or  highly  flavored  a  bird  as  our 
yellow-breasted,  round-eyed  beauty,  and  is  much 
scarcer ;  while  the  foreign  quail,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  smaller  than  ouis,  and  in  southern  Europe  is 
found  in  vast  flocks ;  but  both  are  entitled  to  high 
rank  among  modern  sportsmen. 

The  term  Game  Birds,  therefoie,  should  be,  and 
has  been  by  general  consent,  greatly  extended  in  its 
application,  and  appUed  to  all  the  numerous  species 
which,  whether  migratory  or  not,  are  killed  not 
alone  for  the  market,  but  for  sport;  and  vv^hich  are 
followed  on  the  stubble  fields,  in  brown  November, 
with  the  stiong-limbed  and  keen-nosed  setter,  or 
shot  from  blind  in  scoiching  August ;  slain  from 
battery  in  freezing  December,  or  chased  in  a  boat, 
or  misled  by  decoys.  All  wild  birds  that  furnish 
sport  as  well  as  profit  are  therefore  game  ;  and  the 
gentle  dowitchers  along  our  sea-coast,  lured  to  tlie 
deceitful  stools,  are  as  much  entitled  to  the  name  as 
the  stately  ruffed  grouse  of  our  wild  woods,  or  the 
royal  turkey  of  the  far  west. 

To  constitute  a  legitimate  object  of  true  sport,  the 
bird  must  be  habitually  shot  on  the  wing,  and  the 
greater  the  skill  required  in  its  capture,  the  higher 
its  rank.  The  turkey,  therefore,  although  frequently 
killed  on  the  wing,  is  more  a  game  bird  by  suffer- 
ance than  by  right,  and  partly  from  his  gastronomic 


142  GAME   AND   ITS   PROTECTION. 

as  well  as  from  his  other  qualities.  Under  this 
classification,  then,  we  must  include,  not  merely  the 
ruffed  and  pinnated  grouse,  whicli,  although  the 
only  species  in  our  country  coming  within  the 
ancient  definition,  furnish  far  less  sport  than  many 
other  varieties,  but  woodcock,  snipe,  quail,  geese, 
ducks,  baybirds,  plover,  and  rail;  without  regard  to 
the  fact  that  all,  except  the  quail,  are  migratory, 
and  most  were  unknown  to  our  British  ancestry. 
It  has  been  even  supposed  that  the  quail,  in  parts 
of  our  country  free  from  deep  rivers  and  impassable 
barriers,  are  also  in  a  measure  migratory ;  but  this 
has  no  other  foundation  than  their  habit  of  wander- 
ing from  place  to  place  in  search  of  food,  and  col- 
lecting late  in  the  season,  as  they  will  do  where  they 
are  numerous  and  undisturbed  in  large  packs. 

To  the  protection  of  this  vast  variety  of  game  it 
is  the  sportsman's  duty  to  address  himself,  in  spite 
of  the  opposition  of  the  market-man  and  restaui-ateur, 
the  mean-spirited  poaching  of  the  pot-hunter,  and 
the  lukewarmness  of  the  farmer.  The  latter  can  be 
enlisted  in  the  cause;  he  has  indirectly  the  objects 
of  the  sportsman  at  heart ;  and  with  proper  enlight- 
enment will  assist,  not  merely  to  preserve  his  fields 
from  ruthless  injury,  but  to  save  from  destruction 
his  friends  the  song-birds. 

As  the  true  sportsman  turns  his  attention  only  tu 
legitimate  sport,  destroying  those  birds  that  are  but 
little  if  at  all  useful  to  the  farmer ;  and  as  at  the 
same  time,  out  of  gi'atitude  for  the  kindness  with 
which  the  latter  generally  receives  him,  he  is  care- 


GAME  AND  ITS  PROTECTION.  143 

fill  never  to  invade  the  high  grass  or  the  lipeoing 
grain — so  also,  from  his  innate  love  of  nature,  and  of 
everything  that  makes  nature  more  beautiful,  he 
spares  and  defends  the  warblers  of  the  woods  and  the 
innocent  worm-devourersthat  stand  guardian  over  the 
trees  and  crops.  The  smaller  birds  destroy  immense 
numbers  of  worms;  cedar-birds  have  been  known 
to  eat  hundreds  of  caterpillars,  and  in  this  city 
have  cleared  the  public  squares  in  a  moniing's  visit 
of  the  disgusting  measuring-worms,  that  were  hang- 
ing by  thousands  pendent  from  the  branches.  And 
who  has  not  heard  the  "  woodpecker  tapping  "  all 
day  long  in  pursuit  of  his  prey  ? 

With  the  barbarous  and  senseless  destruction  of 
our  small  birds,  the  ravages  of  the  worms  have 
augmented,  until  we  hear  from  all  the  densely-set- 
tled portions  of  the  country  loud  complaints  of  their 
attacks.  Peach-trees  perish ;  cherries  are  no  longer 
the  beautiful  fruit  they  once  were ;  apples  are  dis- 
figured, and  plums  have  almost  ceased  to  exist. 
Worms  appear  upon  every  vegetable  thing;  the 
borers  dig  their  way  beneath  the  baik  of  the  trunk 
and  cut  long  alleys  through  the  wood ;  weevils 
pierce  the  grain  and  eat  out  its  pith ;  the  leaf-eaters 
of  various  sorts  punch  out  the  delicate  membrane  by 
individual  effort;  or  collecting  in  bodies,  throw 
their  nets,  like  a  spider-web,  over  the  branches,  and 
by  combined  attacks  deliberately  devour  every  leaf. 
While  these  species  are  at  work  openly  and  in  full 
sight,  others  are  at  the  roots  digging  and  destroy- 
ing and  multiplying;    until  the  tree  that  at  first 


144  GAME  AND  ITS  PROTP:CTION. 

gave  evidence  of  hardiness  and  promise  of  long 
utility  to  man,  pauses  in  its  growth,  becomes  deli- 
cate, fades,  and  finally  dies. 

The  destruction  of  these  vermicular  pests  is  a 
question  of  life  or  death  to  the  farmer.  He  may 
attempt  it  either  with  his  own  labor,  by  tarring  his 
trees,  fastening  obstructions  on  the  trunks,  or  by 
killing  individuals ;  or  he  may  have  it  done  for  him, 
free  of  expense,  by  innumerable  flocks  of  the  deni- 
zens of  the  air.  The  increase  of  worms  must  be 
stopped ;  the  means  of  doing  so  is  a  question  of 
serious  public  concern,  and  none  have  yet  been  in- 
vented so  effectual  as  the  natural  course — the  res- 
toration of  the  equipoise  of  nature.  It  is  true  that 
the  robin,  as  we  call  him,  now  and  then  steals  a 
cherry,  and  has  been  blamed  as  though  he  were 
nothing  more  than  a  cherry-thief;  but  surely  we 
can  spare  him  a  little  fruit  for  his  dessert,  when  we 
remember  that  his  meal  has  been  composed  mainly 
of  the  deadly  enemies  of  that  very  fruit !  Swallows 
are  accused  of  breeding  lice,  which,  if  true,  would 
not  be  a  serious  charge,  considering  that  their  nests 
are  generally  in  the  loftiest  and  least  accessible  cor- 
ner they  can  find ;  but  when  we  consider  how  many 
millions  of  noxious  flies  and  poisonous  mosquitoes 
they  destroy,  how  they  hover  over  the  swamps  and 
meadows  for  this  especial  purpose,  and  how  much 
annoyance  their  labors  save  to  human  kind,  we  owe 
them  gratitude  instead  of  abuse. 

Every  tribe  of  birds  has  its  allotted  part  to  play ; 
and  if  destroyed,  not  only  will  its  j)leasant  songs  and 


GAME  AND  ITS  PEOTECTION".  145 

bright  feathers,  gleaming  amid  the  green  leaves,  be 
missed,  but  some  species  of  bug  or  insect,  some 
disgusting  caterpillar  or  injurious  fly,  will  escape 
well  merited  destruction,  and  increasingly  visit  upon 
man  the  punishment  of  his  cruelty  and  folly. 

The  beautiful  blue-birds,  the  numerous  wood- 
peckers, the  tiny  wrens,  the  graceful  swallows  and 
noisy  martins,  are  sac-red  to  the  sportsman,  and  con- 
stitute one  great  division  of  the  creatures  that  he 
desires  to  protect.  It  is  true  that  enthusiastic  for- 
eigners, with  cast-iron  guns,  are  seen  peering  into 
trees  and  lurking  through  the  woods,  proud  of  a 
dirty  bag  half  filled  with  robins,  thrushes,  and  wood- 
peckers ;  but  let  no  ignorant  reader  confound  such 
persons  with  sportsmen.  Their  satisfaction  in  slay- 
ing one  beautiful  little  warbler,  as  full  of  melody  as 
it  is  bare  (>f  meat,  with  a  deadly  charge  of  No.  4 
shot ;  or  in  chasing  from  tree  to  tree  the  agile  red 
squirrel,  who,  with  bushy  tail  erect,  leaps  from  one 
limb  to  another,  emulating  the  very  birds  them- 
selves with  his  agility,  is  as  unsportsmanlike  as  to 
kill  a  cheeping  quail,  that,  struggling  from  the  thick 
Aveeds  in  September  before  the  pointer's  nose,  with 
feeble  wings,  skirts  the  low  brush;  or  to  murder 
the  brooding  woodcock,  that  flutters  up  before  the 
dog  in  June,  and,  with  holy  maternal  instinct,  en- 
deavours to  lead  the  pursuer  from  her  infant  brood. 

From  such  acts  the  veritable  sportsman  turns 
with  horror ;  they  are  cruelty — the  slaughter  of 
what  is  useless  for  food,  or  what,  by  its  death,  will 
produce  misery  to  others;  and  no  persons  in  the 


146  GAME  AND  ITS  PROTECTION. 

community  have  done  more  to  repress  this  wanton- 
ness of  destruction  than  the  Sportsmen's  Clubs.  It 
was  at  their  request  that  tlie  killing  of  song-birds 
was  prohibited  .altogether;  and  they  are  the  most 
earnest  to  restrict  the  times  of  lawful  sport  to  such 
periods  as  will  not,  by  any  possibility,  permit  its 
being  followed  during  the  season  of  incubation. 

Not  alone  by  obtaining  the  passage  of  appropriate 
laws  and  their  vigorous  enforcement,  have  these 
clubs  effected  a  great  reform ;  but  by  their  personal 
example  and  social  influence,  often,  too,  at  consider- 
able loss  to  themselves.  For  while  the  poacher, 
taking  the  chance  of  a  legal  conviction  as  an  acci- 
dent of  business,  and  but  a  slight  reduction  of  his 
unlawful  profits,  anticipates  the  appointed  time,  true 
sportsmen,  restrained  by  a  feeling  of  honor  and  self- 
respect,  although  they  know  that  the  birds  are  being 
killed  daily  in  defiance  of  the  statute,  wait  till  the 
lawful  day  arrives,  and  thus  often,  especially  in 
woodcock  shooting,  sacrifice  their  entire  season's 
sport  for  a  principle. 

This  honorable  spirit,  if  encouraged  and  extended, 
is  the  best  protection  for  song-birds  and  game  that 
can  be  had.  The  laws  are  only  necessary  to  deter 
those  who  are  dead  to  honor  and  decency,  and  to 
fix  the  proper  times — which  ought  to  be  uniform 
throughout  our  entire  country.  But  to  enforce  them 
requires  the  assistance  of  public  opinion.  Every 
encouragement  should  be  given  to  sportsmen's  asso- 
ciations. The  absurd  prejudice  that  has  originated 
from  confounding  them  with  a  very  different  class 


GAME  AND  ITS  PKOTECTION".  147 

of  the  community  should  be  overcome,  and  their 
efforts  to  have  good  laws  passed,  and  to  make  them 
effectual,  should  be  sustained.  The  vulgar  idea, 
that  confounds  laws  for  the  protection  of  the  wild 
creatures  of  wood,  meadow,  lake,  and  stream,  with 
the  monstrous  game-laws  of  olden  time — that  made 
killing  a  hare  more  criminal  than  killing  a  man^- 
should  be  corrected. 

In  this  country,  where  every  man  is  expected  to 
be  a  sort  of  volunteer-policeman,  all  should  vmite  in 
enforcing  the  laws;  and  then,  in  spite  of  the  irre- 
pressible obstinacy  of  the  German  enthusiast,  and 
the  mean  cunning  of  the  sneaking  poacher,  our 
cities  would  soon  be  rid  of  the  disgusting  worms 
that  make  their  trees  hideous,  our  fai'ms  protected 
from  the  devastations  of  the  curculio,  the  weevil, 
the  borer,  and  the  army-worm ;  the  country  would 
once  more  be  populated  with  its  native  feathered 
game,  and  our  fields  would  resound  with  the  glad 
songs  of  the  little  birds  that  there  build  their 
homes. 

So  long  as  the  ignorant  of  coir  nouveaux  riches, 
imagining  themselves  to  be  epicures,  will  pay  for 
unseasonable  game  an  extravagant  price,  so  long 
will  unscrupulous  market-men  purchase,  and  loafing, 
disreputable,  tavern-haunting  poachers  shoot  or  other- 
wise kill  their  prey.  It  must  be  made  a  disgrace, 
and  if  necessary  punished  as  a  crime,  for  any  modern 
Lucullus  to  insult  his  guests  by  presenting  to  them 
game  out  of  season ;  and  eating-house  keepers  should 
not  only  be  taught — by  persistent  espionage,  if  ne- 


148  GAME  AND  ITS  PROTECTION. 

cessary — that  illegal  profits  will  not  equal  legal 
punishments ;  but  their  customers  should  also  dis- 
courage, by  withdrawing  their  patronage,  conduct 
that  is  so  injurious  to  the  public  interests.  Wood- 
cock would  not  be  shot  in  spring,  nor  quail  in  sum- 
mer, unless  the  demand  for  them  were  sufficiently 
great  to  pay  both  the  expense  of  capture  and  the 
danger  of  exposure;  and,  with  a  diminution  of  pur- 
chasers, will  be  an  increased  diminution  of  the  num- 
ber of  birds  improperly  killed. 

Birds  and  fish,  except  in  their  proper  seasons,  are 
always  tasteless,  and  often  unhealthy  food.  A  set- 
ting quail  or  a  spawning  trout  is  absolutely  unfit  to 
eat,  and  to  do  without  them  is  no  sacrifice ;  but  for 
the  sportsman  to  restrain  his  ardor  as  the  close-time 
draws  towards  an  end,  and  when  others  less  scruj)u- 
lous  are  filling  their  bags  daily,  or  when  in  the 
wilder  sections  of  country  there  is  no  one  to  com- 
plain or  object,  requires  the  heroism  of  self-denial. 
Nevertheless,  the  effect  of  example  should  not  be 
forgotten,  and  the  duty  of  the  true  sportsman  is 
clear  and  unmistakable :  he  must  abide  by  the  law  ; 
or,  where  there  is  no  law,  must  govern  himself  by 
analogous  rules. 

In  the  wilderness,  it  is  true,  where  birds  are  abun- 
dant to  excess,  he  may  without  blame  supply  his 
pot  with  cheeping  grouse  or  wood-duck  flappers,  if 
he  can  offer  hunger  as  an  excuse;  but  not  even 
there,  unless  driven  by  extremity,  can  he  slay  the 
parent  of  a  brood  that  will  starve  without  parental 
care.    In  the  settled  regions,  no  matter  how  great 


GAME  AND  ITS  PROTECTION.  I49 

the  provocation,  the  true  sportsman  will  never  for- 
get the  chivah-ic  motto,  noblesse  ohlige. 

The  close-times  of  the  present  statutes  are  not 
altogether  correct ;  and  in  so  extensive  a  locality  as 
the  United  States,  where  diverse  interests  are  to  be 
considered,  it  is  nearly  impracticable  to  make  the 
laws  perfect.  For  instance,  where  quail  are  abun- 
dant, as  in  the  South,  there  is  no  objection  to  killing 
them  during  the  entire  month  of  January;  but,  as 
at  that  period  they  are  often  lean  and  tough,  and 
have  to  contend,  in  the  Northern  States,  against 
dangers  of  the  elements  and  rapacious  vermin,  with 
not  too  favorable  a  chance  for  life — it  is  undesirable, 
where  they  are  in  the  least  scarce,  to  continue  the 
pursuit  after  December. 

If  it  were  possible  to  make  a  uniform  law  for  the 
entire  Union,  and  to  enforce  it  everywhere,  English 
snipe  and  ducks  should  not  be  killed  at  all  during 
the  spring.  The  latter  at  the  time  of  their  flight 
northward  are  poor  and  fishy ;  but  if  they  can  be 
slain  in  New  Jersey,  it  is  hardly  worth  while  to 
protect  them  in  New  York.  For  every  duck  or 
snipe  that  passes  towards  the  liatching-grounds  of 
British  America  in  the  early  part  of  the  yeai',  four 
or  five  return  in  the  fall  and  winter.  Could  proper 
protection,  therefore,  be  enforced,  the  sport  in  the 
latter  season  would  be  four  times  as  great  as  in  the 
former. 

As  matters  stand,  however,  the  seasons  for  killing 
game  birds  should  be:  For  woodcock,  from  July 
fourth  to  December  thirty-first;  for  rufied  and  pin- 


150  GAME  AND  ITS  rROTECTION. 

nated  grouse,  from  September  first— and  quail  from 
November  first — to  the  same  iJeriod,  both  days  in- 
clusive ;  for  wood-duck  from  August  first  till  they 
migrate  southward.  It  is  desirable  to  fix  upon  an- 
niversaries or  days  that  are  easily  remembered. 
Woodcock  are  often  young  and  weak  in  early  sum- 
mer, and  the  three  days  gained  between  the  first 
and  the  fourth  of  July  are  quite  an  advantage. 
Although  the  first  brood  of  quail  may  be  fully 
grown  in  October,  a  vast  number  of  the  birds  are 
too  small,  and  the  brush  is  too  dense  and  thick 
before  the  first  of  the  ensuing  month ;  whereas  it 
is  simply  monstrous  to  slay  pinnated  grouse,  put 
up  by  the  panting,  overheated  pointer  from  the 
high  grass  of  the  western  prairie,  in  the  month  of 
August,  ere  they  can  half  fly.  But  the  migratory 
birds  of  the  coast — the  waterfowl  and  snipe,  the 
waders  and  plovers — may  continue  to  be  shot  when 
they  can  be  found,  till  their  rapidly  diminishing 
numbers  shall  compel  a  more  sensible  and  consider- 
ate treatment. 

The  bay-snipe  lead  the  advancing  army  of  the 
game  birds  that  have  sought  the  cool  and  secluded 
marshes  of  Hudson's  Bay  and  the  Northern  Ocean 
to  raise  their  young,  and  are  hastening  south  fi-om 
approaching  cold  and  darkness  to  more  congenial 
climes.  Next  come  the  beautiful  wood-duck,  and, 
almost  simultaneously,  the  English  snipe  ;  then  the 
swift  but  diminutive  teal;  after  him  the  broad-bill 
or  the  blue-bill  of  the  west ;  and  then  a  host  of 
other  ducks,  till  the  hardy  canvas-backs  and  geese 


GAME   AND   ITS  PllOTECTION".  151 

bring  up  the  rear.  From  July,  when  the  yellow- 
legs  and  dowitchers  abound;  throughout  August,  in 
which  month  the  larger  bay-birds  are  continuously 
streaming  by;  during  September,  when  the  English 
snipe  are  on  the  meadows  and  the  wood-ducks  in  the 
lily-pad  marshes  of  the  fresh-water  lakes ;  in  Octo- 
ber, when  the  teal  and  blue-bills  are  abundant  in  the 
great  west;  all  through  the  fall  and  into  winter, 
when  the  geese  and  canvas-backs  arrive,  the  bay- 
man  finds  his  sport  in  perfection. 

Many  of  the  upland  birds  are  disappearing ;  the 
quail  is  being  killed  with  merciless  energy,  and  his 
loved  haunts  of  dense  brush  are  cleared  away  from 
year  to  year ;  the  woodcock  can  hardly  rest  in  peace 
long  enough  to  rear  her  young,  and  finds  many  of 
her  favorite  secluded  spots  drained  by  the  enterpris- 
ing farmer ;  the  rufied  grouse  disappears  with  the 
receding  forest,  and  the  prairie  chicken  with  the 
cultivation  of  the  open  land.  But  although  innu- 
merable ducks,  snipe,  and  plovers  are  killed  every 
season,  and  by  unjustifiable  measures  are  driven 
from  certain  localities,  their  vast  flights  throughout 
the  whole  country — amounting  to  myriads  in  the 
west — are  apparently  as  innumerable  as  ever. 

From  the  first  of  August  to  the  last  of  December 
they  stretch  athwart  the  sky  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific ;  and  although  in  localities  they  may 
appear  scarce,  still  constitute  countless  hosts.  Were 
it  possible  to  stand  on  some  peak  of  the  Kocky 
Mountains,  and  take  in  at  a  glance  the  vast  stretch 
of  heavens  from  ocean  to  ocean,  with  the  moving 


152  GAME  AND   ITS   PROTECTION. 

myriads  of  migratory  flocks,  the  mind  would  be 
astonished ;  and  it  would  seem  impossible  ever  to 
reduce  their  numbers.  This  is  to  a  certain  degree 
true;  for  so  long  as  the  lagoons  of  the  South  shall 
remain  undisturbed,  and  the  shores  of  the  bays  and 
rivers  unoccupied  to  any  great  extent,  this  abun- 
dance of  the  migratory  birds  will  continue. 

But  who  can  tell  how  long  this  will  last  ?  The 
methods  of  destruction  are  being  perfected,  the 
number  of  destroyers  is  increasing,  until  now  the 
reverberation  of  the  fowling  piece  accompanies  the 
water-fowl  from  the  rocky  shores  of  Maine  to  the 
sandy  coasts  of  North  Carolina  with  the  unceasing 
roar  of  threatened  death.  Twenty  years  ago,  and 
"batteries,"  as  they  are 'called,  the  sunken  floats 
which  are  the  most  fatal  ambushes  of  the  gunner, 
were  almost  unknown  south  of  Havre  de  Grace; 
now  they  are  so  abundant  throughout  the  waters  of 
North  Carolina  that  the  migratory  bird  is  never 
out  of  ear-shot  of  them  during  his  entire  journey. 

It  would  be  better  for  the  permanence  of  wild- 
fowl shooting  never  to  use  batteries  where  fair  sport 
can  be  obtained  from  points  or  blinds.  Ducks, 
geese,  and,  above  all,  swans  have  great  faith  in  the 
sharpness  of  their  eyes  and  the  acuteness  of  their 
noses.  Dangers  that  they  can  see  they  are  rather 
tempted  to  scorn.  They  learn  to  shun  points 
where  man  may  conceal  his  murderous  propensities, 
and  are  not  to  be  inveigled  by  the  apparent  security 
of  the  deceitful  likenesses  of  themselves  which  are 
innocently  nestling  near  by.     They  seek  the  safety 


GAME   AND   ITS   PKOTECTION".  153 

of  the  open  water,  and  feed  in  the  narrow  bays  and 
marsh-encompassed  ponds  during  moonlight  nights, 
if  they  belong  to  the  tribes  that  are  compelled  to 
gain  their  living  by  grubbing  at  the  bottom,  with 
heads  down  and  tails  up.  And  no  matter  how  they 
are  harried  in  certain  places,  they  feel  safe  in  others 
close  at  hand.  But  the  battery,  sunken  to  a  level 
with  the  water  and  hidden  by  the  stand  of  decoys 
around  it,  placed  on  their  favorite  feeding  grounds 
and  in  the  broad  bosom  of  the  open  bays,  is  too 
much  for  their  courage  or  sagacity.  To  see  a  man, 
a  merciless  and  murderous  mortal,  arise  in  all  his 
horrid  aspect  from  the  depths  of  the  sea,  from  the 
middle  of  a  body  of  their  fellows,  is  a  terror  that 
custom  never  stales.  After  a  few  such  experiences, 
they  lose  faith  in  themselves,  and,  if  possible,  take 
flight  to  safer  and  more  propitious  realms. 

To  those  who  are  accustomed  to  it,  there  is  no 
more  delightful  method  of  shooting  than  from  a 
battery,  but  a  novice  will  find  much  trouble  in  be- 
coming accustomed  to  the  confined  position  and 
the  awkwardness  of  motion.  I  remember,  years 
ago,  hearing  Mr.  Dominy,  who  then  kept  the  fa- 
mous sporting  hostelry  at  Fire  Island,  say  that  if  he 
was  to  shoot  on  a  wager  for  his  life,  he  would  pre- 
fer to  shoot  from  a  battery  rather  than  in  any  other 
way.  To  one  not  used  to  the  narrow  box  and  con- 
strained position.  King  on  one's  back  does  not  seem 
to  be  the  most  cheerful  manner  of  killing  any  spe- 
cies of  game.  Tliere  is  everything  in  habit,  and 
certainly  the  exhilaration  of  watching  the  approach 


154  GAME  AKD   ITS   PKOTECTIOK. 

of  the  birds 'as  they  come  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
grow  larger  and  larger,  from  mere  specks  on  the 
horizon  to  the  size  of  broad-bills,  canvas-backs,  or 
perhaps  brant  or  geese,  is  hardly  to  be  surpassed  by 
any  kind  of  sport.  In  most  of  the  Southern  waters 
the  destructive  nature  of  these  machines  is  so  Avell 
recognized,  that  non-residents  are  not  permitted  to 
use  them,  and  the  natives  keep  this  method  of 
Avild-fowling  to  themselves. 

The  shooter  lies  on  his  back  in  this  modified  cof- 
fin, and  whenever  a  flock  approaches  he  rises  to  a 
sitting  posture  and  fires.  He  cannot  leave  his  float- 
ing home,  and  is  unable  to  retrieve  his  ducks  with- 
out the  aid  of  ah  assistant.  There  have  been  many 
accidents  arising  from  carelessness  or  inexperience, 
not  merely  in  the  use  of  the  machine  itself,  but 
from  the  fault  of  the  tender;  and  so  many  guns 
have  blown  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  box,  that  it 
is  the  habit  of  the  gunners  on  the  south  side  of 
Long  Island  always  to  warn  green  hands,  and  in- 
struct them  how  to  rest  and  hold  their  guns.  In 
two  instances  within  my  own  knowledge,  the  sailing 
boat  that  accompanies  the  shooter,  and  serves  as  his 
tender  and  protector,  was  unable  to  return  to  him. 
In  one  case  it  was  driven  to  leeward,  and  could  not 
work  back  to  windward,  and  in  the  other  it  went 
aground  on  a  falling  tide  just  before  'dark,  when 
the  thermometer  ranged  but  little  above  zero.  In 
both  cases  the  sportsmen  were  saved,  but  in  both 
the  hand  of  death  grazed  them  closely. 

Night  shooting  is  a  still  more  deleterious  prac- 


GAME   AND   ITS   PROTECTION".  355 

tice.  Wild  fowl  must  be  allowed  to  i-^st  at  night; 
indeed,  the  same  might  be  said  of  most  other  ani- 
mals, including  the  human  family.  If  they  are 
not,  they  will  inevitably  wend  their  way  elsewhere. 
The  discharge  of  one  shot  at  night,  with  its  accom- 
paniment of  flame,  and  its  noise  reverberating 
more  horribly  in  the  still  and  silent  hours,  will  do 
more  to  frighten  away  the  marsh  ducks  than  any 
amount  of  daylight  shooting.  As  the  night  begins 
to  fall,  the  fowl  begin  to  seek  the  marshes.  They 
rise  from  the  open  water  where  they  have  been 
resting,  perhaps  without  being  able  to  feed  at  all, 
and  move  towards  the  shore,  coming  on  in  a  steady 
unbroken  flight,  until  they  have  all  found  nesting 
and  feeding  grounds  in  the  shoal  water.  Drive 
them  from  such  places  in  the  night,  and  there  will 
be  no  shooting  during  the  day. 

The  use  of  pivot-guns  is  another  reprehensible 
pl-actice  that  has  been  so  earnestly  condemned,  even 
among  market-gunners,  that  it  has  been  in  a  great 
measure  abandoned.  Still,  howevei",  in  some  quiet 
bay  of  one  of  the  groat  lakes  of  tlie  West,  where 
there  is  no  one  to  observe  the  iniquity,  or  of  a  moon- 
light night  on  the  Chesapeake,  the  poaching  mur- 
derer, sculling  his  boat  down  upon  an  unsuspicious 
flock  crowded  together  and  feeding  or  asleep,  will 
discharge  a  pound  or  two  of  coarse  shot  from  his 
diminutive  cannon ;  and  wounding  hundreds,  will 
kill  scores  of  ducks  at  the  one  fatal  discharge.  The 
noise,  however,  reverberating  over  land  and  water, 
scatters  the  tidings  of  the  guilty  act  far  and  wide  ; 


156  GAME  AND  ITS  PEOTECTION. 

and  often  brings  upon  the  criminal  detection  and 
punishment.  To  avoid  this  the  pivot-shooter  will 
sometimes,  as  soon  as  he  has  fired,  throw  his  gun 
overboard  with  a  buoy  attached  to  it,  and  if  pur- 
sued, pretend  he  has  used  nothing  but  his  small 
fowling-piece.  The  practice  of  pivot-shooting,  how- 
ever, has  almost  ceased,  never  having  been  exten- 
sively adopted ;  and  has  nothing  whatever  sports- 
manlike about  it,  being  a  mixture  of  cruelty  and 
theft. 

Another  mode  of  pursuing  ducks,  which  is  at  the 
same  time  attractive,  exciting,  and  injurious,  is  by 
the  use  of  a  sail-boat.  Not  only  is  there  the  ex- 
citement of  the  pursuit,  the  rushing  down  wind 
with  bellying  sail  and  hissing  water — the  crested 
waves  parting  at  the  prow  and  lengthening  out 
behind  in  two  long  lines  of  foam — but  there  is  the 
free  motion  and  the  pleasant  breeze  tv  stimuiatei 
the  sportsman.  This  is  really  a  delightful  sport, 
combining  the  excitement  of  shooting  with  the  ex- 
hilaration of  sailing  ;  but  as  it  disturbs  the  flocks 
upon  their  feeding-grounds,  as  it  gives  them  no  rest 
during  the  noontide  hours,  when  it  appears  that 
ducks — like  all  other  sensible  people — love  to  in- 
dulge in  a  quiet  nap,  it  eventually  drives  them 
away  ;  and  not  only  makes  them  shy  of  the  locality, 
but  injures  the  sj)ort  of  the  point-shooter,  who  de- 
pends upon  their  regular  flights  for  his  success.  It 
is  not  often  very  remunerative,  but  is  uncommonly 
attractive,  and  is  only  condemned  with  great  re- 
luctance on  proof  of  its  injurious  results. 


GAME  AND   ITS   PK0TECTI0:N'.  157 

But  while  sailing  for  ducks  is  wisely  forbidden 
by  the  laws  of  New  York  and  of  most  of  the  older 
States,  that  prohibition  should  not  be  stretched  be- 
yond the  true  meaning  and  intent  of  the  statute. 
Coots,  the  big  black  sea  coot  of  the  coast  and  his 
congeners,  not  the  little  mud  coot  or  blue  peter  of 
the  fresh  waters,  may  be  ducks  from  a  scientific 
point  of  view,  but  they  were  never  intended  to  be 
included  in  the  prohibition.  These  dusky  gentle- 
men are  wonderful  divers,  they  swim  under  Avater 
almost  as  readily  and  rapidly  as  they  fly  abov.e  it, 
and  seek  their  food  at  the  bottom.  They  do  not  so 
much  live  on  fish,  in  fact  I  have  never  noticed  fish 
in  their  stomachs,  although  some  authorities  say 
that  they  feed  on  them,  but  they  devour  incredible 
numbers  of  small  clanis.  and  oysters.  They  are  not 
content  to  take  the  full  grown  bivalve,  two  or  three 
of  which  would  make  a  solid  meal  even  for  a  vora- 
cious coot,  but  they  invariably  select  the  tiny  fel- 
lows just  starting  in  life,  and  of  whom  it  takes  a 
great  many  to  furnish  forth  a  breakfast  or  dinner. 
There  is  little  sport  in  shooting  these  tough  fellows, 
and  no  sport  except  in  killing  them  from  a  sailboat 
when  underway. 

In  this  chapter  on  the  obligations  that  man  owes 
to  his  feathered  friends,  his  naturalized  assistants 
must  not  be  forgotten.  The  imported  sparrow, 
though  small  in  himself,  has  done  a  great  work  for 
our  country,  and  still  more  for  our  cities.  We  all 
know  that  gratitude  is  a  fleeting  sentiment,  and 
looks  rather  to  things  hoped  for  than  to  those 


158  GAME  AKD  ITS  PROTECTION. 

which  have  already  been  conferred,  and  it  is  some- 
what the  fashion  to  decry  the  bustling  busy  immi- 
grant from  abroad;  but  those  who  remember  the 
condition  of  our  streets  aud  parks,  hung  full  with 
disgusting  measuring  worms  pendent  from  every 
tree  and  branch,  till  to  pass  through  them  was  an 
annoyance,  will  not  wholly  forget  our  debt  to  the 
English  sparrow.  He  has  been,  wrongfully  I 
think,  accused  of  driving  away  our  native  birds, 
but  before  we  condemn  him  it  will  have  to  be 
shown,  not  only  that  he  has  done  so,  but  in  addi- 
tion that  he  has  driven  away  birds  more  useful 
than  himself. 

It  is  but  a  few  years  since  he  was  first  brought 
among  us,  and  already  have  the  caterpillars  so  thor- 
oughly disappeared,  that  one  is  rarely  seen  in  our 
streets,  and  the  trees  are  allowed  to  bear  their  foli- 
age in  peace,  instead  of  being  reduced  to  bare 
boughs,  as  was  their  invariable  fate  in  old  times. 
The  sparrow  has  been  accused,  and  has  been  com- 
pelled to  plead  guilty  of  the  crime  of  not  eating 
the  hairy  as  v/ell  as  the  smooth-skinned  caterpillar, 
but  it  ought  to  be  urged  in  mitigation,  before  he  is 
condemned  to  condign  punishment,  that  his  adver- 
saries do  not  do  so  either,  while  they  are  guilty  of 
the  further  crime  of  not  even  eating  the  smooth- 
skinned  kinds. 


CHAPTER  n. 

GUNNERY — MUZZLE-LOADERS   AND   BREECH-LOADERS. 

To  the  young  sportsman,  armed  with  the  finest  of 
implements,  and  trusting  much  to  them  for  his  suc- 
cess, it  is  a  matter  of  mortification  and  surprise  how 
well  a  bad  gun  will  shoot  in  good  hands ;  never- 
theless, no  true  sportsman  ever  lived  but,  if  ho 
were  able  by  any  self-denial  to  scrape  the  means 
together,  Avould  purchase  a  valuable  and  necessarily 
expensive  fowling-piece.  !N  ot  only  is  a  well  made 
and  handsomely  finished  gun  safer  and  lighter  than 
a  cheap  afikir  manufactured  for  the  wholesale  trade ; 
not  only  does  it  ordinarily  carry  closer  and  recoil 
less ;  but  it  needs  fewer  repairs,  lasts  infinitely  longer, 
and  is  always  a  matter  of  pride  and  delight  to  its 
owner. 

Many  guns  of  inferior  workmanship  throw  shot 
as  strongly  as  those  turned  out  by  the  best  makers — 
although  this  is  not  the  fact  in  general — but  greater 
weight  has  to  be  given  to  insure  tolerable  safety, 
and  the  locks,  if  not  the  barrels,  are  sure  to  give 
out  in  a  few  years ;  whereas  the  high-priced  article 
will  be  as  perfect  at  the  end  of  a  dozen  years — 
which  have  accustomed  its  owner  to  its  easy,  rapid, 
and  effective  management — as  it  was  in  the  begin- 
ning, and  will  endure  until  failing  sight,  wasting 


160  MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND   BREECH-LOADERS. 

disease,  or  accumulating  years,  shall  compel  its  trans« 
fer  into  younger  hands. 

Unless  a  man  has  continual  practice,  or  is  an  ex- 
cellent shot,  it  is  a  serious  undertaking  to  change 
his  gun  and  accustom  himself  to  another,  which, 
although  apparently  identical  in  weight  and  shape, 
will  inevitably  differ  in  some  slight  point  that  will 
be  sufficient  to  destroy,  for  a  time,  accuracy  in  aim 
and  prompt  execution  in  cover.  Some  persons  re- 
quire months  to  acquire  the  effective  use  of  a  new 
gun  und.er  difficult  circumstances;  and  in  those 
dense  thickets  where  so  much  of  our  shooting  is 
done,  and  where  it  is  by  instinct  founded  upon  long 
habit  that  the  sportsman  is  enabled  at  all  to  kill 
his  game,  and  where  he  cannot  indulge  in  the  de- 
liberate care  that  more  open  shooting  allows — 
this  deficiency  will  be  most  painfully  apparent. 
For  such  persons  to  purchase  a  new  piece,  is  equi- 
valent to  throwing  away  the  sport  of  an  entire  sum- 
mer or  fall,  and  when  we  consider  that  few  of  us 
can  expect  to  avernge  more  than  forty  summers  or 
falls,  the  loss  of  one-fortieth  part  of  life's  enjoyment 
is  no  trivial  depiivation. 

A  very  cheap  gun  is  dangerous;  but  it  is  not  ex- 
pected that  any  person  reading  these  lines  will  trust 
his  life  with  an  instrument  that  common  sense  tells 
him  is  manufactured  to  kill  at  both' ends.  A  gun  of 
moderate  price,  that  is,  from  forty  to  fifty  dollars, 
is  as  safe  as  the  most  expensive — the  iron  is  not  so 
tough,  but  more  of  it  is  used ;  but  in  a  short  time 
the  barrels  will  wear  away  ;  the  locks,  losing  their 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS.    161 

original  quick  spring  and  sharp  click,  will  become 
dull  and  weak,  till  they  will  scarcely  discharge  the 
cap ;  and  the  stock,  warping  with  the  weather,  will 
exhibit  yawning  fissures  between  itself  and  the  iron 
lock-plates  or  false  breech. 

In  lightness,  however,  is  the  great  superiority  of 
the  highly  Avrought  implement ;  and  in  hard  tramp- 
ing through  a  dense  swamp  of  a  hot  July  day, 
or  deep  wading  in  a  soft  snipe-meadow,  or  in  a 
wearisome  trudge  over  hill  and  dale  after  Novem- 
ber quail,  a  pound  will  make  itself  felt  in  the  addi- 
tional weight  of  the  fowling-piece,  and  not  only  so, 
but  a  light  gun  can  be  handled  more  readily.  In 
open  shooting,  especially  for  the  wild  fowl  of  our 
bays  and  coasts,  mere  weight  is  a  positive  advan- 
tage ;  but  in  the  tangled  thickets,  where  birds  flash 
out  of  sight  like  gleams  of  party-colored  light,  and 
the  instantaneous  use  of  the  piece  can  alone  secure 
success,  a  light  gun  is  an  absolute  necessity. 

Moreover,  on  certain  occasions,  when  the  barrels 
are  exposed  to  an  extraordinary  strain,  when  the 
piece  built  for  light  charges  and  upland  shooting  is 
used  temporarily  upon  the  larger  game  of  the  coasts 
or  woods,  and  the  two  and  a  half  drachms  of  powder 
and  ounce  of  fine  shot  are  replaced  by  a  dozen  buck- 
shot, or  an  ounce  and  a  half  of  No.  3  driven  by  five 
drachms  of  powder — then  it  is  pleasant  to  feel  that 
the  iron  is  of  the  utmost  possible  tenacity  and  the 
workmanship  in  every  way  faultless. 

A  learned  dissertation  on  the  science  of  gun- 
nery is  neither  appropriate  to  the   occasion  nor 


162   MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

possible  to  the  author,  and  would  probably  prove 
as  little  entertaining  as  instructive  to  the  reader. 
The  majority  of  purchasers  cannot  form  an  exact 
opinion  relative  to  the  merits  of  a  gun  prepared 
with  the  utmost  skill  and  ingenuity  to  deceive  them, 
and  must  rely  mainly  on  the  word  of  the  seller  or 
reputation  of  the  maker.  There  is  something,  to 
be  sure,  in  the  smooth  working  of  the  locics,  and 
still  more  in  the  jDcrfect  fitting  of  the  stock ;  but 
after  all,  even  to  the  experienced  sportsman,  there 
is  little  difference  in  appearance  between  the  Sham- 
damn  and  the  purest  laminated  steel. 

American  importers  have  a  peculiarly  moral 
and  respectable  habit  of  vending  German  guns 
stamped  with  the  names  of  English  makers,  and 
pacify  their  consciences  with  the  idea  that  the 
manufactures  of  Germany  are  not  inferior  to  those 
of  England;  but  they  would  give  more  satisfaction 
to  the  public  and  more  ease  to  their  consciences  by 
pi'oving  this  in  open  contest,  and  establishing  the 
reputation  oF  the  German  makers,  than  by  appro- 
priating the  names  and  reputations  that  good 
work  has  made  famous.  So  far  is  this  deception 
carried,  that  some  houses  even  order  from  the  Bel- 
gian manufacturers  a  certain  number,  nominallj'-,  of 
each  of  the  leading  gun-makers.  It  may  be  that 
there  is  little  real  difference,  although  on  the  con- 
tinental guns  you  sometimes  pay  for  useless  orna- 
ment, money  that  should  have  been  expended  where 
it  would  tell,  on  locks  and  barrels ;  but  the  mode  of 
proceeding  is  certainly  not  creditable. 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS.    163 

In  a  highly  finished  article  the  locks  usually  work 
with  a  smooth  oiliness  that  can  be  distinguished 
with  a  little  practice,  and  are  fitted  Avith  great 
accuracy  into  the  stock,  so  that  projections  of  wood 
will  be  left  standing  not  thicker  than  a  piece  of 
blotting-paper.  The  barrels  will  be  without  flaw 
or  indentation,  and  if  looked,  through  with  the 
breech  removed,  will  exhibit  a  perfect  ring  of 
light  flowing  up  evenly,  as  they  are  raised  or  low- 
ered. The  mountings  will  be  faultless,  and  the  cuts 
in  all  the  screw-heads  will  point  in  the  same  direc- 
tion ;  the  screws  will  work  easily  and  yet  perfectly, 
and  the  triggers  and  trigger-plate,  which  are  inva- 
riably neglected  in  a  poor  gun,  will  be  admirably 
finished  and  fitted.  Examine  all  these  particulars, 
but  especially  the  last,  and  you  can  form  some  judg- 
ment whether  the  piece  comes. from  a  good  maker 
or  a  spurious  imitator. 

The  greatest  attention,  however,  in  the  selection 
of  a  gun  should  be  paid  to  the  form  of  the  stock 
and  the  pull  of  the  triggers ;  if  the  former  is  unsuited 
to  the  shape  of  the  purchaser,  or  the  latter  are  stiff 
or  dissimilar,  the  consequence  will  be  utter  failure 
that  no  amount  of  practice  will  remedy.  If  the  pur- 
chaser's arms  and  neck  are  long,  the  stock  may  be 
long  and  crooked ;  but  if  the  contrary  is  the  case,  the 
stock  must  be  short  and  straight. 

If  possible,  the  person  intending  to  use  a  gun  should 
select  it  for  himself;  and  if  if  does  not  "come  up 
right "  the  first  time  he  brings  it  to  his  eye,  he  should 
refuse  it  positively.    He  must  not  allow  himself  to 


164  MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

be  persuaded  to  tiy  it  again  and  again ;  for  after 
one  or  two  trials  he  will  instinctively  adapt  his  eye 
to  its  construction,  and  will  imagine  the  gun  suits 
him — an  impression  that  the  rapid  flight  of  the  first 
quail  he  endeavors  to  cover  will  dissipate.  The 
triggers  should  give  back  at  a  weight  of  four  or  five 
pounds  ;  the  hammers  of  a  muzzle-loader  at  ten  or 
twelve,  and  of  a  breech-loader  at  twelve  or  fourteen. 
For  the  former,  the  best  cone  is  what  is  called  the 
inverted,  where  the  bore  is  larger  at  the  top  and 
receives  the  entire  flame  from  the  cap. 

The  shape  of  the  breech  for  the  muzzle-loader  for- 
merly gave  rise  to  much  learned  disquisition  and 
many  plausible  theories  ;  but,  in  all  probability,  had 
no  influence  on  the  shooting,  which  is  due  mainly  to 
the  form  and  quality  of  the  barrels.  Joe  Manton 
founded  his  fame  on  the  idea  that  the  lines  of  force, 
if  reflected  from  a  hollow  cup,  like  rays  of  light  from 
a  reflector,  would  be  directed  parallel  to  one  ano- 
ther and  lengthwise  of  the  barrel ;  but  later  expe- 
riments have  tended  to  destroy  this  theory.  The 
simple  fact  appears  to  be,  that  powder  exerts  just  so 
much  force,  and,  as  it  cannot  escape  sideways,  it 
must  go  out  at  the  end  of  the  barrel ;  and  that  the 
shape  of  the  breech,  except  so  far  as  it  may  afiect 
the  rapidity  of  ignition,  has  no  influence  whatever. 

These  questions,  however,  are  being  efiectually 
disposed  of  by  the  march  of  events  and  the  general 
diffusion  of  breech-loaders ;  to  the  latter,  as  they  are 
not  universally  known  or  appreciated  in  our  country 
— to  which,  by  its  nature  and  its  game,  they  are 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS.  165 

peculiarly  adapted — the  writer's  remarks  will  be 
mainly  confined.  Feeling  entirely  convinced,  even 
from  a  short  exiaerience,  of  their  superiority  in  most 
particulars,  and  their  equality  in  all,  he  regards  the 
consequence  as  inevitable  that  they  will  utterly 
supersede  the  old-fashioned  fowling-piece;  the  few 
defects  that  were  originally  alleged  to  exist  in  them 
having  been  either  removed  or  remedied,  and  the 
supply  of  ammunition  for  them  in  this  country 
having  become  sufficient.  They  have  Avon  their 
way  slowly  into  public  favor  against  the  interested 
opposition  of  gun-makers  on  one  hand,  and  the  igno- 
rance and  superstitious  dread  of  change  of  gun-users 
on  the  other. 

They  are  a  French  invention  of  forty  years' 
standing,  and  proved  their  superiority  long  ago ; 
but  prejudice  was  too  strong  for  them,  as  it  has  been 
for  many  another  good  thing.  Their  merits,  never- 
theless, slowly  conquered  opposition,  convinced  the 
intelligent,  and  confounded  the  obstinate;  till  at 
last  in  England — the  very  hot-bed  of  prejudice  and 
the  favorite  abiding-place  of  antiquated  ideas — there 
are  now  sold  fifty  breech-loaders  to  one  muzzier 
loader.  As  they  are  not  universally  used  with  us, 
the  description  of  them  will  have  to  be  somewhat 
minute,  and  would  be  better  understood  if  the  reader 
would  take  the  trouble  to  examine  one  for  himself. 

The  best  and  most  generally  adopted  of  the  vari- 
ous kinds  is  the  Lefaucheux.,  or  some  slight  modi- 
fication of  it;  and  to  that  the  attention  will  be  prin- 
cipally  directed.    In  this  gun  the  breech,  which  in 


166  MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

the  muzzle-loader  screws  into  the  barrel,  is  omitted, 
and  the  barrels  are  open  at  both  ends;  they  are 
fastened  to  the  stock  by  a  pin  and  joint  a  few  inches 
beyond  the  guard.  When  free,  the  muzzle  hangs 
down,  and  the  breech  end  presents  itself  several 
inches  above  the  stock,  so  that  the  cartridge  can  be 
readily  inserted  ;  when  the  barrels  are  pressed  back 
into  their  place  for  firing,  they  are  caught  by  a  bolt 
that  can  be  opened  or  closed  by  a  lever  lying  along  the 
under  part  of  the  stock,  between  the  guard  and  the 
joint.  The  false  breech  is  flat,  solid,  and  heavy,  and 
completes  the  barrels,  taking  the  place  and  perform- 
ing the  duty  of  the  breech  in  the  muzzle-loader. 
The  hammers  have  a  flat  surface  on  the  striking  end, 
and  the  locks  are  back-actioned,  to  avoid  interfering 
"with  the  other  mechanism. 
The  pin  cartridge  is  made  of  paper,  shaped  like  a 
short  section  of  the  barrel,  with  a  brass  capsule  on 
one  end  and  open  at  the  other;  it  is  two  or  three 
inches  long,  and  has  a  pad  of  thick  paper  beneath 
the  capsule.  In  this  pad  a  hole  is  punched  on  the 
inside  and  the  percussion-cap  is  inserted,  with  a 
brass  pin  resting  in  it  and  projecting  above  the  cap- 
sule on  the  outside.  The  percussion-caj)  is  entirely 
within  the  cartridge-case,  and  the  brass  inn  passes 
through  a  hole  drilled  in  one  side  of  the  capsule, 
just  large  enough  to  admit  it  and  exclude  moisture 
entirely.  A  blow  on  the  projecting  end  of  the  pin 
drives  the  other  end  into  the  cap,  and  discharges  the 
latter.  The  cartridge-case  is  prepared  already 
capped,  and  is  sold  in  England  for  from  thirty  to 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS.   167 

fifty  shillings  the  thousand ;  it  may  be  recapped  by 
an  instrument  made  for  the  purpose  with  a  peculiar 
cap,  and  may  be  used,  on  an  average,  three  times. 

The  cartridge  must  be  loaded  as  the  gun  would 
be,  only  by  the  use  of  a  short  ramrod  or  a  special 
loading  implement ;  the  powder  is  poured  in,  a  wad 
placed  above  it,  and  the  shot  and  another  wad  follow. 
The  cartridge  may  then  be  trimmed  down  and  the 
end  bent  over,  so  as  to  retain  the  load  securely,  if  it 
is  to  be  carried  for  a  considerable  distance ;  but 
where  the  shooting  is  from  a  boat  or  stand,  the  case 
should  be  left  untrimmed  and  of  full  length.  A 
chamber  is  cut  away  in  the  lower  part  of  the  barrel, 
which  corresponds  exactly  with  the  cartridge-case, 
so  that  the  latter  fits  perfectly  in  it ;  but,  if  there  is 
an  interval  between  the  end  of  the  cartridge  and  the 
shoulder  in  the  barrel,  no  injury  to  the  charge  or  the 
shooting  appears  to  result.  A  small  notch  is  cut  in 
the  upper  edge  of  the  barrel  to  contain  the  brass  pin, 
and  allow  it  to  project  so  as  to  receive  the  blow  from 
the  hammer. 

When  the  bolt  is  withdrawn  and  the  barrels  are 
allowed  to  fall  so  as  to  bring  the  open  breech  fairly 
into  view,  the  loaded  cartridge  is  inserted,  the  bar- 
rels are  sprung  back  to  their  place  with  a  sharp  snap 
that  sends  them  home  at  once,  and  are  ready  to  be 
discharged.  To  allow  the  cartridge  to  be  inserted, 
the  hammers  must  be  drawn  to  half  or  full  cock ; 
and  when  the  trigger  is  pulled,  they  fall  upon  the 
pin,  which  penetrates  the  cap  and  fires  the  load. 
The  entire  mechanism  is  so  simple  that  it  can  hardly 


168   MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

become  deranged,  and  will  last  as  long  as  the  bar 
rels.  The  greatest  care  is  necessary  in  making  tho 
chamber  that  receives  the  cartridge  of  a  proper 
shape,  for  if  this  is  faulty  the  cartridges  are  apt  to 
stick  after  explosion. 

There  is  no  decided  improvement  on  the  original 
Lefaucheux  model,  except  in  the  modification  of  the 
machinery,  and  a  convenient  method  of  separating 
the  barrels  from  the  stock  ;  and  no  other  innovation 
of  a  like  character  need  be  particularly  described. 
The  needle-gun,  which  is  made  on  a  somewhat 
similar  principle,  is  more  carious  than  valuable, 
being  both  dangerous  and  complicated,  and  pos- 
sesses no  advantages  over  the  other  pattern.  In  it 
the  cartridge  has  a  percussion-cap  so  disposed  at  its 
base  that  it  is  penetrated  by  a  needle,  which  is  pro- 
jected by  a  spring  through  a  hole  in  the  lower  end 
of  the  cartridge ;  but  the  composition  of  the  cartridge, 
and  the  manner  of  its  insertion,  are  altogether  dif- 
ferent from  the  same  in  the  Lefaucheux  gun. 

According  to  the  arrangement  of  some  English 
guns,  on  a  plan  invented  by  Jeffries,  the  lever, 
instead  of  closing  forward,  lies  under  the  trigger- 
guard,  when  tl)e  barrels  are  closed  ;  and  provision 
is  made  for  tightening  the  bolt,  in  case  it  wears  loose 
by  long  usage.  This  invention  permits  of  the  use 
of  forward-action  locks,  and  the  easy  separation  of 
the  barrels  from  the  stock,  and  has  come  into  vogue 
in  England;  it  is  undoubtedly  convenient  in  both 
these  particulars,  and  has  as  yet  developed  no  cor- 
responding drawbacks. 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND   BREECH-LOADERS.    1G9 

Persoually,  the  writer  has  always  preferred  British 
to  French  or  Belgian  guns,  although  chance  has 
compelled  him  to  own  as  many  of  the  latter  as  the 
former.  The  English  gun  is  made  for  work ;  even 
when  cheaply  manufactured,  it  will  be  found  effec- 
tive where  efficiency  is  necessary  ;  and  it  is  far  more 
beautiful  to  the  eye  of  a  true  sportsman,  with  its 
plain  blued  lock-plates,  and  total  deficiency  of  orna- 
ment, than  the  Continental  weapon,  covered  with 
engraving  and  ornamentation,  but  defective  in  some 
of  those  minutice  that  lend  nothing  to  its  beauty, 
but  add  much  to  its  usefulness.  This  is  particularly 
the  case  with  breech-loaders,  which,  if  not  manu- 
factured carefully,  are  almost  useless,  and  whicl), 
although  originally  invented  in  France,  are  at  this 
day  produced  in  more  serviceable  style — unless 
where  the  highest-priced  article  is  obtained — in  Eng- 
land than  in  the  country  of  their  origin.  Great  dis- 
credit was  brought  upon  breech-loaders  among  us  at 
their  first  introduction,  in  consequence  of  the  impor- 
tation of  inferior  articles,  and  they  still  labor  under 
the  disadvantages  of  that  failure,  although  rapidly 
overcoming  all  objections. 

There  are  a  few  implements  that  are  necessary  to 
the  use  of  a  breech-loader,  which  are  much  simpler 
than  they  at  first  appear.  To  load  the  cartridge  is 
required  either  a  short  ramrod  and  a  machine  for 
turning  over  the  edges  of  the  case  upon  the  wad,  to 
retain  it  in  its  place,  or  an  apparatus,  also  invented 
by  Jeffdes,  that  combines  all  the  requisites  for  load- 
ing, and  by  the  aid  of  which  a  hundred  cartridges 


170  MUZZLE-LOADERS   AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

can  be  loaded  in  an  hour.  As  the  case  can  be  used 
several  times,  and  the  cap,  which  is  of  a  peculiar 
size,  has  to  be  placed  in  its  exact  position  to  receive 
the  pin,  a  capper  invented  for  the  purpose  is  em- 
ployed, by  which  the  cap  is  inserted,  and  the  pin 
pressed  into  it  without  the  least  difficulty;  a  pair 
of  tweezers  are  used  to  withdraw  the  pin  after  a 
discharge,  in  order  to  free  the  old  cap  and  make 
room  for  the  new,  and  a  large  gimlet  will  be  found 
useful  for  extracting  any  discharged  caps  that  may 
happen  to  stick. 

A  cleaning-apparatus  is  also  occasionally  used, 
consisting  of  a  brush  at  one  end  of  a  string  and  a 
small  weight  at  the  other ;  the  weight  is  dropped 
through  the  open  barrel  and  the  brush  drawn  after 
it ;  but,  as  the  gun  may  be  fired  ten  times  as  often 
as  a  muzzle-loader  without  fouling,  a  plain  rag  and 
cleaning-rod  will  answer.  Cartridge-cases,  of 
course,  cannot  be  obtained  like  powder  and  shot 
at  every  country  store,  and  to  obviate  the  danger 
of  finding  oneself,  after  extraordinary  good-luck 
with  a  gun,  without  the  means  of  firing  it,  it  is 
well  to  carry  a  couple  of  brass  cases,  which  can  be 
used  with  a  common  French  cap,  and  reloaded  in- 
definitely almost  as  quickly  as  a  muzzle-loader. 

The  sportsman,  by  the  aid  of  these  implements 
and  a  couple  of  scoops  with  handles  for  powder 
and  shot,  recaps  the  cartridges  which  have  been 
discharged,  loads  them  as  he  would  a  gun,  only 
much  more  rapidly,  and  lays  them  aside  for  future 
use.    In  the  field,  he  carries  them  in  a  leather  case, 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS.   171 

or,  which  is  the  preferable  plan,  in  a  belt  round  the 
waist,  or  in  his  pockets,  being  able  to  store  in  the 
pockets  of  his  vest  alone  at  least  twenty.  The 
English  sportsmen  carry  them  loose  in  the  pockets 
of  their  shooting-coats ;  but  a  belt  is  convenient  and 
commodious,  holding  from  thirty  to  fifty,  and  dis- 
tributes the  weight  pleasantly.  Where  the  shoot- 
ing is  to  be  done  from  a  boat  or  stand,  of  course 
they  will  be  kept  in  an  ammunition-box,  without 
having  their  edges  turned  over,  as  there  will  be 
nothing  to  loosen  the  wads. 

The  reader  may  naturally  suppose  that  there  is 
risk  in  carrying  a  number  of  loaded  cartridges  about 
the  person ;  but  in  this  he  is  entirely  mistaken.  In 
tlie  first  place,  the  difficulty  of  discharging  a  car- 
tridge, except  in  the  gun,  is  surprising ;  no  pressure 
will  explode  the  cap,  and  no  ordinary  blow,  unless 
the  cartridge  is  retained  in  a  fixed  position  ;  and  if 
one  falls,  the  weight  of  the  shot  compels  it  inevi- 
tably to  fall  on  the  end :  but  in  case  these  difficulties 
are  overcome,  the  result  is  merely  the  discharge  of 
a  large  fire-crackei\ 

The  writer  instituted  a  number  of  experiments, 
and  having  succeeded,  after  many  trials,  in  setting 
off  the  cartridge,  found  that  the  powder  burst  the 
paper,  but  failed  to  drive  the  wad  out  of  the  case. 
This  was  tried  with  cartridges  in  all  positions,  hori- 
zontal and  perpendicular,  but  produced  invariably 
the  same  result,  with  unimportant  modifications; 
and  it  was  further  ascertained  that  the  fire  from  one 
would  not  communicate  to  another.     So  that,  if  a 


172  MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH  LOADERS. 

cartridge  does  explode  accidentally,  it  may  scoroh 
the  clothes  or  even  burn  the  person  slightly,  but 
can  inflict  no  serious  injury.  These  remarks,  how- 
ever, do  not  apply  to  the  brass  cartridge-cases, 
which  must  be  handled  more  carefully.  The  com- 
mon paper-cases  may  therefore  be  carried  with  per- 
fect impunity,  and  transported,  if  carefully  packed, 
without  risk. 

A  more  curious  idea — ^for  the  dread  of  danger 
from  the  loaded  cartridge  is  natural — prevailed  at 
one  time,  that  the  barrels  were  weakened  because 
they  were  open  behind,  instead  of  being  closed  by 
the  breech-screw ;  as  if  a  cylinder  would  be  rendered 
more  cohesive  by  screwing  another  piece  of  metal 
into  one  end.  In  fact,  if  the  breech-screw  has  any 
effect  whatever  upon  the  strength  of  the  gun,  its 
presence  is  probably  an  injury.  The  charge,  it  will 
be  observed,  presses  against  the  shot  on  one  side 
and  the  false  breech  on  the  other,  and  would  not  be 
retained  any  more  securely  by  the  addition  of  a 
breech-screw,  which  tends  to  separate  instead  of 
closing  the  barrel.  So,  also,  it  must  be  borne  iu 
mind  there  is  no  strain  worth  mentioning  on  the 
hinge-bolt,  and  no  danger  of  the  barrels  blowing 
away  with  the  charge ;  while  the  disposal  of  the 
metal  at  the  false  breech,  and  the  omission  of  the 
ramrod,  tends  to  make  the  gun  light  at  the  muzzle — 
a  great  advantage  in  snap-shooting. 

There  is  absolutely  no  escape  of  gas  at  the  break- 
off ;  none  can  escape  unless  the  brass  capsule,  which 
closes  the  joint  hermetically,  can  be  driven  out,  and 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS.   l'J'3 

this  is  a  sheer  impossibility.  The  gas  cannot  pene- 
trate the  paper  of  the  cartridge,  and  if  it  bursts  the 
latter,  still  cannot  escape  except  through  the  brass  ; 
and  although  the  least  perceptible  amount  may  come 
out  alongside  of  the  pin,  it  is  scarcely  traceable,  and 
nothing  like  what  is  lost  at  the  percussion-cap  in  the 
common  gun.  These  cartridges  are  wonderfully 
close,  as  the  reader  may  conclude  when  he  is  in- 
formed that  a  loaded  breech-loader,  left  entirely 
under  water  for  fifteen  minutes,  was  discharged  as 
promptly  as  though  it  had  never  been  wet ;  while  a 
muzzle-loader,  that  had  not  been  half  so  long  ex- 
posed, would  not  go  at  all,  and  required  an  hour's 
cleaning.  In  fact,  the  breech-loader  is  entirely  im- 
p<M-vious  to  any  ordinary  wetting,  will  not  fail  in 
the  worst  rain,  and  the  average  number  of  miss-fires, 
in  well  made  cartridges,  is  one  in  a  thousand. 

In  the  handling  of  this  gun  there  is  one  peculi- 
arity: the  pins  rise  fi"om  the  middle  of  the  car- 
tridge, and  not  at  one  side,  like  the  ordinary  cones, 
thus  bringing  the  hammers  closer  together.  To  the 
begmner  this  may  appear  awkward,  but  is  no  real 
disadvantage.  It  would  seem  also  desirable  to  use 
more  powder  with  a  breech-loader,  although  this  is 
not  necessary  to  so  great  an  extent  as  it  was  for- 
merly ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  weight  at  the 
breech  appears  either  to  diminish  the  recoil  or  reduce 
its  effects  on  the  shooter ;  as  the  testimony  of  persons 
using  breech-loaders  is  unanimous  that  the  recoil  is 
less  perceptible  than  with  muzzle-loaders,  although 
the  scales  have  refused  to  verify  their  impression. 


174  MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

One  immense  advantage  of  the  breech-loader  is 
its  safety  in  loading,  especially  in  a  confined  posi- 
tion, as  on  a  boat  or  in  a  battery.  Whereas,  in 
the  muzzle-loader,  immediately  after  the  discharge, 
while  the  smoke  is  still  pouring  from  the  barrel,  and 
while  the  fire  may  be  smouldering  invisible  below, 
the  sportsman  deliberately  pours  in  a  fresh  charge 
of  powder,  holding  his  hand  and  the  entire  flask 
over  the  muzzle,  endangering  Ids  life,  and  incurring 
injury  far  more  frequently  than  most  persons  sup- 
pose ;  with  tlie  breech-loader,  the  barrels  are  opened 
and  fall  into  such  a  position  that  no  discharge  can 
take  place,  and  never  point  towards  the  person  of 
their  owner. 

Several  of  the  writer's  friends  have  been  maimed 
for  life  by  the  premature  discharge  of  a  load  in  the 
muzzle-loader  from  a  spark  remaining  in  the  barrel ; 
the  risk  connected  with  it  has  always  seemed  very 
great ;  and  even  with  the  patent  flasks,  which  are 
hardly  practical  inventions,  more  or  less  unavoid- 
able. This  danger  is  entirely  obviated  by  the  breech- 
loader, which  cannot  go  off  until  the  barrels  are 
restored  to  position  after  the  charges  ai-e  inserted  ; 
cannot  leave  hidden  sparks  to  imperil  the  owner's 
life  or  limb ;  never  expose  the  hand  over  the 
loaded  barrel,  that  may  have  been  left  at  half-cock, 
if  the  sportsman  is  liable  to  thoughtlessness  or 
over-excitement ;  and  which  can  be  loaded  without 
difiiculty  in  the  most  confined  position.  So,  not 
only  do  we  have  rapidity,  but  entire  safety  in  load- 
ing. 


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11  ''''fe- 


MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  liKEEGH-LOADERS.   177 

The  objections,  however,  urged  against  breech- 
loaders have  not  been  few,  and,  if  well  founded, 
foi'bid  the  use  of  the  gun ;  if,  as  has  been  said,  the 
target  is  not  so  good,  nor  the  shot  sent  with  as 
much  force,  the  requisites  of  a  first-class  sporting 
implement  are  -wanting.  These  charges,  freely  ad- 
vanced, have  been  sustained  in  a  measure  by  the 
wretched  performance  of  poor  guns,  but  were  early 
been  brought  to  the  only  true  test — actual  experi- 
ence, under  equal  conditions ;  and  by  this  test  have 
been  so  utterly  annihilated  that  their  discussion  is 
only  necessary  on  account  of  popular  ignorance  of 
the  experiments.  When  breech-loaders  first  came 
prominently  before  the  English  public,  their  sup- 
posed merits  and  demerits  were  discussed  in  the 
sporting  papers  in  an  animated  and  violent  manner; 
and  in  order  to  settle  the  questions  at  issue,  the 
editor  of  the  London  Field  determined  to  have  an 
open  trial,  where  the  breech-loaders  and  muzzle- 
loaders  could  be  fairly  matched  against  one  another. 
The  contests  took  place  in  1858  and  1859,  and  being 
carefully  conducted,  settled  the  dispute  for  the  time 
boing,  and,  even  before  the  latest  improvements, 
established  more  fully  the  superiority  of  the  breech- 
loader. The  best  guns  and  gun-makers  of  England 
were  represented;  and  in  spite  of  occasional  varia- 
tion and  accidental  luck — as  in  the  pattern  of  the 
first  muzzle-loader — the  prejudices  against  the  mo- 
dem arm  were  so  entirely  dissipated  that  the  old- 
fashioned  guns  are  at  present  rarely  sold. 

Since  that  trial  considerable  advance  has  been 


178  MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADER^. 

made  in  the  minutiae  of  the  manufacture;  and  now 
it  is  the  general  impression  of  those  acquainted  with 
the  arm,  that  the  breech-loader,  with  a  slight  addi- 
tional increase  of  powder,  shoots  both  stronger  and 
closer  than  its  rival.     In  the  pigeon-matches,  with 
scarcely  an  exception,  held  both  in  this  country,  of 
late  years,  as  well  as  in  Great  Britain,  where  it  is 
to  be  supposed  that  the  best  implements  the  country 
could  furnish  would  be  used,  and  where  some  of 
the  shooting  was  done  at  thirty  yards,  the  favorite 
and  most   successful   weapons   have  been  breech- 
loaders.    With  all  allowance  for  the  quality  of  the 
marksman,  the  quality  of  the  gun  that  wins  a  match 
at  English  "blue-rocks"  must  unquestionably  be 
good ;  and  this,  the  universal  experience  of  those 
matter-of-fact  John  Bulls,  who  test  everything  by 
success,  has  entirely  confirmed. 

A  trial  of  guns  was  made  in  1859,  and  the  results 
were  published  in  tabular  form  in  The  Shot-Gun 
and  Sporting  Rifle^  by  Stonehenge,  p,  304.  The 
targets  were  made  of  double  bag-cap  paper,  90  lbs. 
to  tlie  ream,  circular,  thirty  inches  in  diameter,  with 
a  centre  of  twelve  inches  square,  and  were  nailed 
against  a  smooth  surface  of  deal  boards.  The  centres 
were  composed  of  forty  thicknesses  for  forty  yards, 
and  twenty  for  sixty  yards,  and  weighed  eighteen 
and  nine  ounces  respectively,  with  such  slight  varia- 
tion as  will  always  occur  in  brown  paper.  The 
powder  was  Laiu-ence's  No.  2,  the  shot  No.  6,  con- 
taining 290  pellets  to  the  ounce,  and  the  charges 
were  weighed  in  every  instance. 


iltrZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BliEECH-LOADEftS.   I'tQ 


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Weight  of 
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180   MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND   BREECH-LOADERS. 


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MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BliEECH-LOADERS.    181 

The  guns  were  classified  according  to  their  weight. 
The  breech-loaders,  which  used  one  quarter  of  a 
drachm  more  powder,  showed  about  an  equal  re- 
coil; the  recoil  diflFered  surprisingly,  ranging  from 
44  to  76  lbs.,  and  was  no  indication  of  the  power 
with  which  the  shot  wi^s  driven — a  greater  number 
of  sheets  being  pierced  where  the  recoil  was  under 
the  average.  The  patterns  produced  by  the  muzzle- 
loaders  varied  from  those  of  the  breech-loaders  less 
than  they  did  from  one  another,  and  far  less  than 
that  of  one  barrel  differed  from  that  of  the  other  ;  in 
fact,  the  right-hand  barrel  seems  to  have  shot  much 
the  best,  and  some  of  the  guns  that  excelled  at  40 
yards  fell  far  behindhand  at  60  yards. 

In  penetration,  which  is  a  more  valuable  quality 
in  a  gun  than  even  pattern,  the  breech-loaders  took 
the  lead;  one  pierced  through  40  sheets  and  another 
through  39  sheets,  so  that  the  vaunted  superiority 
of  the  old  gun  in  this  particular  was  found  not  to 
exist.  It  was  further  noted  that  a  great  improve- 
ment in  this  particular  had  taken  place  in  the  breech- 
loaders since  the  trial  of  the  year  previous,  which 
improvement  has  been  going  on  steadily  since.  The 
trial  also  proved  that,  although  the  breech-loaders 
required  an  extra  amount  of  powder  to  give  them 
force,  it  caused  in  them  no  additional  recoil,  and 
was  objectionable  in  so  far  only  as  it  entailed  extra 
expense  and  weight  of  ammunition.  The  muzzle- 
loader  was  left,  to  offset  its  numerous  inferioiities, 
nothing  more  than  a  claim  to  diminished  weight  of 
gun  and  ammunition,  and  a  trifling  saving  in  ex- 


182     MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND   BREECH-LOADERS. 

pense;  in  force  and  pattern  it  was  equalled;  in 
safety  and  liandiness  it  was  far  surpassed  by  its 
competitor. 

These  trials  were  continued  afterwards,  but  none 
were  or  could  be  more  conclusive  than  the  first 
which  I  iiave  given,  and  there  is  no  need  of 
troubling  the  reader  with  them.  Indeed,  it  would 
almost  seem  unnecessary  to  give  time  and  space  to 
the  consideration  of  the  superiorities  of  breech- 
loaders over  muzzle-loaders  at  this  day,  so  univer- 
sally are  the  former  accepted  in  the  better  informed 
localities,  but  in  so  extensive  a  country  as  ours, 
there  are  parts  which  are  late  to  learn  and  hard 
to  be  convinced.  To-day,  while  the  muzzle-loader 
has  nearly  disappeared  from  the  Northern  and  Eas- 
tern States,  it  still  holds  its  own  in  the  South  and 
far  West,  and  there  are  at  present  as  many  of  them 
in  service  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
our  land,  as  there  are  of  breech-loaders. 

One  change  that  was  early  made  in  the  cartridges 
was  to  do  away  with  the  pin  and  substitute  a  central 
fire,  and  so  much  was  this  change  admired,  that 
pin-fire  guns  have  almost  gone  out  of  use.  Never- 
theless, I  have  never  been  convinced  that  this  was 
any  improvement,  and  believe,  that  if  the  pin-fire 
gun  had  come  into  general  use  before  it  was  intro- 
duced, it  would  not  have  been  accepted.  However, 
admitted  facts  cannot  be  ignored,  and  to-day  the 
pin-fire  system  has  been  almost  as  fully  and  far  less 
intelligently  relegated  to  the  past,  as  the  muzzle- 
loader  itself.     I  am  also  no  admirer  of  the  snap- 


MtJ25ZtE-LOADERS  AKD  BREJECH-LOADEES.     18^ 

action,  which  has  to  a  certain  extent  been  substi- 
tuted for  the  lever,  on  the  ground  that,  while  the 
lever  never  gets  out  of  order,  the  spring  of  the  snap 
often  breaks.  I  may  say,  that  no  guns  could  have 
been  more  severely  tried  than  mine  that  were  manu- 
factured by  Lefmicheux,  one  of  which  was  the  second 
that  was  ever  permanently  used  in  this  country, 
and  that  they  have  never  given  out  in  their  working 
parts,  while  the  oldest  and  most  hardly  used  has 
never  given  out  at  all,  although  shot  in  all  weathers 
and  under  very  trying  circumstances. 

Indeed  I  go  farther  and  insist  that  there  have 
been  no  important  improvements  made  in  breech- 
loaders since  the  original  Lcfaucheux  pattern  until 
the  introduction  of  the  hammerless  guns.  These 
are  still  imperfect,  but  they  will  probably  be  soon 
perfected,  so  that  the  last  serious  danger  from  a 
breech-loader  will  be  removed,  that  of  premature 
discharge  in  the  field.  \Yere  it  not  for  this  discov- 
ery, it  is  my  belief  that  sportsmen  would  yet  give 
up  the  central-fire,  and  return  to  the  pia-firo,  there 
being  no  advantages  in  a  central  fire,  while  there  are 
several  disadvantages.  The  principal  of  these  con- 
sists in  the  fact  that  no  one  can  tell  whether  it  is 
loaded  or  not,  and  a  secondary  danger  lies  in  the 
loading  of  the  cartridges,  which  has  already  cost 
several  lives.  As  yet,  however,  the  hammerless  gun 
is  not  entirely  safe.  It  is  thrown  back  to  full  cock 
in  opening,  and  when  closed  with  a  hard  snap  it 
will  sometimes  jar  off.  This  happens  very  rarely, 
but  often  enough  to  make  the  gun  dangerous. 


184    MUZZLE-LOADERS  AND  BREECH-LOADERS. 

It  will  foul  about  the  working  parts  of  the  breech 
when  it  is  used  hard  without  cleaning,  so  that  the 
springs  will  not  act,  and  a  premature  discharge  may 
follow,  and  it  sometimes  catches  on  the  edge  of  the 
bent  in  the  tumbler  without  slipping  into  it.  As 
soon  as  these  defects  are  absolutely  remedied,  the 
graceful  and  convenient  hammerless  gun  will  take 
the  place  of  all  others.  I  know  very  well  it  is  claimed 
that  these,  and  all  other  defects  have  been  removed 
by  the  introduction  of  the  safety  block,  which  in- 
terposes before  the  tumbler,  and  thus  between  the 
strikers  and  the  cap,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  enter 
into  an  argument  which  would  lead  to  no  practical 
result.  There  are  men  ever  ready  to  take  certain 
risks  in  order  to  be  ahead  of  their  fellows.  Let  such 
disregard  the  advice,  which  common  sense  suggests, 
and  make  experiments,  from  which  they  cannot  be 
dissuaded,  and  by  which  others  may  profit.  I  would, 
however,  say  that  I  am  sustained  in  my  objections 
by  so  high  an  authority,  as  "Stonehenge,"  but  am. 
willing  to  admit  that  even  as  they  are,  I  think  a 
hammerless  gun  is  safer  than  a  central  fire,  for  thej 
avoid  one  of  the  greatest  risks  which  the  sportsman 
runs,  that  of  the  trigger  catching  on  a  twig  as  he  is 
going  through  the  bushes.  Those  who  have  used 
them  suflQciently  to  get  accustomed  to  them,  say 
that  they  can  shoot  better  with  them  than  with  the 
old  gun,  a  fact  which  they  attribute  to  the  absence 
of  the  hammers. 


CHAPTER  m. 

BAY-SinPE  SHOOTIKG. 

The  various  writers  on  the  different  Mnda  of  sport 
in  our  country  have  generally  devoted  their  atten- 
tion to  upland  shooting ;    to  the  quail,  woodcock, 
English  snipe,  ruffed  grouse  of  the  hills,  dales,  and 
meadows,  to  the  prairie-chicken  of  the  far  west,  or  to 
the  larger  game — the  ducks,  geese,  and  swans  of  our 
coast;    and   the  few   suggestions  to   be  found   in 
Frank  Forester's  Field  Sports^   or  Lewis's  At'ie- 
rican  Sportsman,  are  of  little  assistance  in  discuss- 
ing the  mode  of  capture  of  their  less  fashionable 
and    less    marketable     brethren    called    bay-snipe. 
I  shall  inevitably  make   mistakes  and  omissions. 
The  later  works  on  water-fowl  shooting  are  limited 
to  the  consideration  of  ducks,   geese,  and  brant, 
as  thougli  bay  snipe  belonged  to  the  upland.     But 
I  consider  them  nearly  as  much  of  a  water-bird  as 
the  black  duck,  for,  like  the  latter,  they  are  shot 
mostly  at  pond  holes  in  the  marshes  or  from  sedgy 
points. 

The  birds  that  are  shot  along  our  shores  upon  the 
sand-bars  or  broad  salt  meadows,  or  even  upon  the 
adjoining  fields  of  upland,  are  among  sportsmen 
termed  bay-birds  or  bay-snipe;  and  although  includ- 
ing several  distinct  varieties,  present  a  general 
similarity  in  manners  and  habits.     They  are  ordi- 


186  BAT-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

narily  killed  by  stratagem  over  decoys,  and  not  by 
open  pursuit ;  different  varieties  frequent  the  same 
locality,  so  that  many  species  will  be  collected  in  the 
same  bag ;  they  are  foi-  the  most  part,  except  the 
upland  birds,  tough  and  sedgy,  and  at  times  hardly 
fit  for  the  table  ;  and  they  arrive  and  may  be  killed 
at  certain  periods  in  vast  numbers. 

Although  despised  by  the  upland  spoilsman,  whd 
regards  the  use  of  the  dog  as  essential  to  the  pure 
exercise  of  his  art ;  and  by  the  pot-hunter,  because 
they  do  not  generally  bring  high  prices  in  market ; — 
to  the  genuine  lover  of  nature  and  the  gun  they  fur- 
nish splendid  sport,  requiring,  if  not  as  high  a  de- 
gree of  skill  as  may  be  needed  to  cut  down  a  quail 
in  the  dense  coverts,  at  least  as  many  fine  qualities 
in  the  sportsman,  and  as  thorough  a  knowledge  of 
their  habits  as  any  other  bird.  In  upland  shooting 
the  dog  does  the  largest  part  of  the  work,  and  inva- 
riably deserves  the  credit  for  a  super-excellent  bag; 
and  truly  glorious  is  it  to  follow  the  dog  that  can 
make  that  bag,  and  wonderful  to  watch  his  powers ; — 
but  in  bay-snipe  shooting  there  is  no  trusty  dog  to 
look  to,  who  can  retrieve  by  his  superiority  his  mas- 
ter's blunderings.  The  man  relies  upon  himself,  and 
himself  alone ;  he  it  is  that  must,  with  quick  observant 
eye,  catch  the  faint  outline  of  the  distant  flock,  and 
with  sharp  ear  distinguish  the  first  audible  call;  his 
experience  must  determine  the  nature  of  the  birds, 
his  powers  of  imitation  bring  them  within  gun-shot, 
and  his  skill  drop  them  advantageously  from  the 
cro\\  ded  flock.     To  excel  in  all  this  requires  long 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  18? 

patience,  much  experience,  and  great  qualities  of 
mind  and  body ;  and  few  are  the  sportsmen  who  ever 
deserve  the  compliment  paid  by  old  Paulus  Enos  of 
Quogue,  when  he  remarked,  "  Colonel  P.  is  a  werry 
destructive  man — a  werry  destructive  man  in  a  flock 
of  birds." 

It  is  true  that  quail-shooting  is  almost  a  certainty ; 
and  day  after  day  of  fair  weather,  with  well-trained 
animals  and  good  marksmen,  will  produce  nearly  the 
same  average,  so  that  an  entire  failure  will  be  almost 
impossible ;  whereas,  with  bay-snipe  everything,  in 
the  first  instance,  depends  upon  the  fliglit;  and  if 
there  are  no  birds,  the  result  must  be  a  total  blank  ; 
but  when  the  season  is  propitious — and  this  can  be 
determined  by  the  experienced  sportsman  with  tole- 
rable accuracy — the  sport  is  prodigious,  and  the 
number  of  shots  enormous. 

Nor  is  it  so  easy  to  kill  the  gentle  game  that 
approaches  the  decoys  with  such  entire  confidence, 
and  often  at  so  moderate  a  pace.  The  upland  sports- 
man, who  can  cover  the  quail  through  the  thick 
scrub-oaks,  or  the  woodcock  in  the  dense  foliage  of 
the  shady  swamp,  and  send  his  charge  after  them 
with  astonishing  precision,  and  who  will  expect  easy 
work  with  the  bay-snipe,  will  find  himself  wonder- 
fully bothered  by  their  curious  motions  and  irre- 
gular flight,  till  he  has  acquired  the  knack  of  anti- 
cipating their  intentions.  He  will  learn  that  their 
«i,ied  is  irregular;  that  while  at  times  they  will 
hang  almost  motionless  in  the  air,  at  others  they  will 
dart  past  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  miles  an  hour  j 


188  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

that  although  usually  flying  steadily,  they  will  fre- 
quently flirt  and  twist  as  unexpectedly  as  an  English 
snipe ;  and  that  often  they  will  either  suddenly  drop 
from  before  his  gun  and  alight,  or,  taking  the  alarm, 
will  whirl  fifty  feet  into  the  air;  and  when  one 
barrel  has  been  discharged  into  a  flock,  the  rest  will 
"  skiver "  so  as  to  puzzle  even  the  best  marksman. 
It  is  not  enough  to  kill  one  bird  with  each  bar- 
rel from  a  flock,  as  in  quail-shooting,  but  a  num- 
ber must  be  selected  at  the  moment  they  cross  one 
another,  so  that  several  may  be  secured  with  each 
bari-el ;  to  do  this  will  require  much  practice  and 
entail  many  total  misses,  and  is  rarely  thoroughly 
learned  by  the  upland  sportsman.  It  will  not  answer 
to  follow  the  example  of  an  enthusiastic  Frencli  gen- 
tleman, whom  I  once  left  in  the  stand  while  I  went 
to  the  house  for  dinner  ;  and  who,  on  my  return,  in 
an  excited  way  remarked  : 

"  Ah !  I  have  vun  beautifool  shot,  I  make  ze  lovely 
shot ;  tree  big  bii'ds  come  along — vat  you  call  him  ?" 

"  Willet  ?"  I  suggested. 

"  No,  no  ;  ze  big  brown  birds." 

"Sickle-bills  I" 
•    "  No,  not  ze  seeckle-bills." 

"  Jacks  ?» 

"  No,  no ;  not  ze  jacks." 

"  Marlin !» 

"  Yes,  yes ;  tree  big  marlin  come  close  by,  right 
ovair  ze  stool ;  zay  all  fly  near  ze  other ;  I  am  sure 
to  kill  zem,  it  was  such  beautifool  shot.  I  take  ze 
gun  and  miss  zem  all  1" 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  189 

M-oreovei,  the  excitement  of  a  rapid  flight  is 
intense  ;  the  birds  arrive  much  faster  than  the  muz- 
zle-loader can  be  charged,  andaflock  will  hover  lound 
the  stand,  returning  again  and  again  in  the  most 
bewildering  manner ;  as  there  are  usually  two  sports- 
men in  each  stand,  and  the  stands  are  often  in  sight 
of  one  another,  a  sense  of  rivalry  is  added  to  the 
other  difficulties  of  the  position. 

As  the  birds  approach,  great  judgment  is  required 
in  selecting  the  proper  time  to  fire,  both  as  regards 
the  condition  of  the  flock  and  their  position  relative 
TO  the  associate  sportsman  ;  they  must  be  allowed 
to  come  well  within  the  reach  of  both,  and  yet  be 
taKen  when  they  are  most  together,  and  not  allowed 
to  pass  so  far  as  to  endanger  the  success  of  the  se- 
cond barrel.  Each  sportsman  must  invariably  fire 
at  his  side  of  the  flock,  and  wait  till  it  is  well  abreast 
of  him,  and  never  either  shoot  over  his  neighbor's 
corner  of  the  stand  or  at  his  portion  of  the  birds. 
N  othing  is  so  disagreeable  as  to  have  a  gun  dis- 
charged close  to  one's  head,  except  perhaps  to  have 
it  discharged  at  one's  head ;  the  noise  and  jar  pro- 
duce painful  and  dangerous  effects,  and  unsettle  a 
person's  nerves  for  hours.  No  man  who  will  fire 
by  his  associate  without  presenting  his  gun  well  be- 
fore him,  can  know  the  first  principles  of  gunnery 
—or  who,  if  knowing  them,  wilfully  disregards  their 
effects,  is  a  fit  companion.  The  concussion  from  the 
explosion  is  exceedingly  unpleasant,  even  if  the  gun 
IS  several  feet  off,  and  will  produce  a  slight  deafiiess. 

Of  the  number  of  birds  which  can  be  bagged,  it 


190  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

is  hardly  possible  to  speak  within  bounds— more  than 
a  hundred  having  been  killed  at  one  shot — ^but  pro-^ 
bably  a  hundred  separate  shots  are  occasionally  fired 
by  each  sportsman  in  the  course  of  a  day,  and  with 
the  breech-loader  even  more.  There  have  been  times 
when  twenty-five  pounds  of  shot  have  been  expend- 
ed by  one  gun,  but  those  days  exist  no  longer,  and 
it  is  rare  to  use  more  than  five  pounds  where  the 
load  does  not  exceed  an  ounce  and  a  quarter. 

The  uncertainty  of  the  flight  is  the  principal  draw- 
back to  bay-snipe  shooting,  although  experience  can 
in  a  measure  overcome  the  difticulty;  but  to  the 
citizen  confined  to  certain  days,  a  selection  of  time 
is  an  impossibility.  The  height  of  the  season  ex- 
tends from  August  15th  to  the  25th  for  the  bay- 
birds  proper ;  and  from  August  28th  to  September 
8th,  for  golden  plover;  and  if  a  north-easterly  storm 
should  occur  at  this  period,  it  will  be  followed  by  an 
immense  flight. 

Dry  seasons  are  never  good,  and  so  long  as  the 
weather  remains  warm  the  birds  will  tarry  in  their 
northern  latitudes  ;  when  the  meadows  are  parched 
for  want  of  rain,  they  become  too  hard  for  the  birds 
to  perforate,  and  the  latter,  being  unable  to  feed, 
must  migrate  elsewhere;  but  when  they  are  soft 
with  moisture,  the  older  snipe  that  have  left  their 
progeny  at  the  far  north,  linger  on  the  feeding- 
grounds  and  wait  for  the  latter  to  arrive.  They 
seem  to  make  it  a  point  to  send  back  portions  of 
their  number  from  time  to  time  to  look  after  the  young ; 
and  on  such  occasions,  both  the  messengers  and  the 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING  191 

young  stool  admirably.  Thus  flocks  of  old  birds 
will  frequently  be  seen  wending  their  way  towards 
the  north,  while  the  main  flight  is  directed  south- 
ward ;  and  these  flocks  will  invariably  come  to  the 
decoys,  although  the  main  body  will  take  no  notice 
of  them. 

Of  course  when  the  meadows  are  too  parched  to 
furnish  food,  the  birds  caimot  return  on  their  tracks, 
but  must  continue  their  flight  to  more  hospitable 
shores,  and  in  this  way  one  of  the  best  chances  for 
good  shooting  is  lost.  There  are  probably,  in  addi- 
tion, many  ease-loving  gluttons  among  the  troupe, who 
if  they  find  the  feeding-grounds  well  supplied,  slop 
for  a  time  to  enjoy  the  luxury  after  their  long  absti- 
nence in  the  inclement  north  ;  and  in  passing  to  and 
from  their  favorite  spots,  are  said  by  the  native 
human  species  to  have  established  "  a  trade"  to  those 
places.  These  birds,  of  course,  wherever  they  see  a 
flock  apparently  partaking  of  a  plentiful  repast,  na- 
turally pause  to  obtain  their  share,  and  thus  fall  a 
prey  to  their  appetites. 

Bay-snipe  fly  during  the  day  and  night  high  up 
in  the  heavens,  or  close  to  the  earth,  in  rain  or  shine, 
but  especially  during  a  cold  north-easterly  storm, 
which,  from  its  direction,  is  favorable  to  their  south- 
erly migrations  ;  and  they  have  a  vigor  of  wing  that 
enables  them  to  traverse  immense  distances  in  a 
short  time.  In  proceeding  with  the  wind,  it  is  usu- 
ally at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  earth  ;  but 
when  facing  an  adverse  current,  they  keep  close  to 
the  surface,  and  consequently  are  apt  to  be  attracted 


192  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

by  the  stools.  They  do  not  move  much  during 
foggy  weather,  for  tlio  simple  reason  that  they  can- 
not see  their  course,  but  do  not  seem  to  be  troubled 
by  a  rain.  Although  clear — that  is  to  say,  not  rainy 
— weather  is  preferable  on  many  accounts,  for  their 
pursuit,  good  sport  is  frequently  had,  especially  on 
Long  Island,  during  a  rain. 

Their  line  of  flight  is  peculiar.  Except  the  plover, 
they  do  not  follow  the  entire  coast,  and  are  not 
found  to  the  eastward  of  Massachusetts,  but  appear 
to  strike  directly  from  their  northern  haunts  to  Cape 
Cod,  where,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Barnstable, 
there  was  in  former  times  excellent  shooting ;  thence 
they  proceed  to  Point  Judith,  or  even  somewhat  to 
the  westward  of  it,  and  then  they  cross  Long  Island 
Sound,  rarely  much  to  the  eastward  of  Quogue  ;  fiom 
Long  Island  they  make  one  flight  to  Squan  Beach, 
and  so  on  along  the  bays  and  lagoons  of  the  south- 
ern coast  to  the  Equator,  or  perhaps  beyond  it  to 
the  Antarctic  region.  The  plovers  follow  the  coast 
more  closely,  and  strike  the  easternmost  end  of  Long 
Island  in  their  career. 

It  is  very  remarkable,  that  these  birds  which 
generally  pass  northward  in  May,  and  require 
only  three  months  for  incubation  and  growth  of 
young,  live  the  other  nine  months  apparently  in  com- 
parative idleness  at  the  south.  This  peculiarity  has 
led  to  the  suggestion  that  they  may  travel  to  the 
Antarctic  ocean  during  their  absence  from  the  north 
— wliich,  although  probable,  is  as  yet,  from  our  entire 
ignorance  of  their  habits,  a  mere  suggestion. 


BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING.  193 

During  the  northward  flight  in  May,  there  is  often 
good  sport,  but  the  time  is  more  uncertain  than  in 
Aupfust;  nor  do  the  birds,  which  are  old  and  wary, 
stool  quite  so  well  as  on  their  return.  In  the  spring 
they  pursue  the  same  course  as  in  the  autumnal 
flight ;  whicli,  although  it  is  the  most  direct  line,  and 
follows  the  principal  expanse  of  salt  meadow,  neces- 
sitates considerable  journeys  far  out  at  sea.  But  it 
is  doubtless  the  fact  that  these  birds,  in  consequence 
of  their  stretch  and  power  of  wing,  could  sustain  an 
unbroken  flight  from  north  to  south,  and  accomplish 
the  distance  in  a  wonderfully  short  space  of  time. 
Unabated  speed  of  one  hundred  miles  an  hour  is 
equivalent  to  twenty-four  hundred  miles  in  a  day, 
and  portions  of  the  flock  may  not  pause  between 
Labrador  and  the  swamps  of  Florida. 

When  the  wind  is  strong  and  continuo-us  from  the 
westward,  it  is  supposed  that  they  pass  far  out  to 
sea ;  and  during  these  seasons  there  will  be  no  flight 
of  birds  either  at  Long  Island  or  on  the  Jersey  coast. 
At  such  periods  sportsmen  often  conclude  that  the 
entire  race  has  been  destroyed,  till  the  easterly  winds 
and  soaking  rains  of  the  following  year,  bring  them 
back  more  numerous  than  ever.  As  they  must 
migrate,  and  are  not  to  be  found  anywhere  on  the 
land,  it  is  clear  th;it  they  must  have  the  power  of 
completing  their  journey  in  one  unbroken  flight. 

The  principal  varieties  are  the  sickle-bill,  jack-cur- 
lew, the  marlin  and  ring-tailed  raarlin,  the  willet,  the 
black-breast  or  bull-head,  and  golden  plovers,  tho 
yelper,  yellow-legs,  robin-snijie,  dowitchers,  brant* 


194  BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

bird,  and  krieker.  The  upland  or  grass-plover  is  pur- 
sued in  a  different  manner,  and  the  smaller  birds  are 
not  pursued  for  sport  at  all. 

The  sickle-bills,  so  named  after  the  beautiful  sweep 
ing  curve  of  the  bill,  which  lias  been  known  to  mea- 
sure eleven  inches  in  length,  are  the  largest  of  them 
all.  They  are  colored  much  like  a  marlin,  have  a 
beautiful  bright  eye,  a  short  reed-like  call,  and  a 
steady,  dignified  flight.  In  stretch  of  wings  they 
exceed  three  feet,  and  nothing  can  be  more  impres- 
sive than  the  approach  of  a  large  flock  of  these  birds 
with  wings  and  bills  extended  and  legs  dropped  in 
preparation  for  alighting  amid  the  stools. 

They  are  often  shy  in  the  first  instance,  but  as 
soon  as  one  of  their  number  is  killed,  they  return 
again  and  again  to  the  fiital  spot — apparently  in  blind 
confidence  that  he  must  have  alighted  instead  of 
fallen,  or  out  of  brotherly  anxiety  for  his  fate.  I 
ha,ve  on  several  occasions  attracted  a  large  flock  that 
was  hesitating  whether  to  approach  or  not,  and 
almost  resolving  to  depart,  by  killing  one  of  their 
number  that  incautiously  ventured  within  long 
range — for  immediately  on  seeing  him  fall,  they 
approached,  in  spite  of  the  report,  with  full  con- 
fidence. 

They  are  easily  killed,  by  reason  of  their  mode- 
rate speed  and  customary  steadiness,  although  they 
can  dart  rapidly  when  alarmed,  and  will  often,  like 
all  the  bay-birds,  carry  off  much  shot.  Their  flesh 
is  tough,  very  dark,  and  scarcely  fit  for  the  table, 
except  perhaps  when  they  first  come  on  from  feed- 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  195 

ing  on  the  more  dainty  repasts  furnished  by  the  up- 
lands of  Labrador. 

The  jack-curlew  is  a  still  more  wary  bird,  and  al- 
though he  comes  to  the  stools,  rarely  pauses  over 
them,  and  never  returns  after  being  once  fired  at. 
He  is  seldom  seen  in  large  flocks,  and  flies  rapidly 
and  steadily.  His  cry  is  longer  than  that  of  the 
sickle-bill,  and,  like  it,  easy  to  imitate.  From  his 
wariness  and  rarity  he  is  regarded  as  the  greatest 
prize  of  the  sportsman,  although  his  flesh  is  little 
better  than  that  of  the  sickle-bill. 

The  marlin  is  quite  common,  very  gentle,  stools 
admirably,  and  goes  in  large  flocks.  In  color  it  is 
similar  to  the  sickle-bill,  but  it  is  much  smaller  and  has 
a  straight,  if  not  slightly  recurved,  bill.  It  is  attracted 
by  the  same  call,  and  is  equally  tough  and  sedgy  as 
food.  The  ring-tailed  marlin  differs  from  it  entirely 
in  color,  resembling  a  willet — except  that  its  wings 
are  darker,  and  its  tail  black  with  a  white  ring — ^but 
it  has  the  long,  straight,  marlin  bill.  It  is  a  rare  bird, 
seldom  collects  in  large  flocks,  and  is  often  fat  and 
tolerable  eating.  It  does  not  stool  as  well  as  its 
plainer  brother,  but  from  its  scarcity  and  higher 
gastronomic  claims,  it  is  more  highly  prized. 

The  willet  is  greyish  in  general  color,  with  a  white 
belly  and  broad  bands  of  black  and  white  across  its 
wings.  It  has  a  loud,  shrill  shriek,  stools  well,  flies 
steadily,  congregates  in  large  flocks,  and  when  fat  is 
quite  eatable.  It  often  associates  with  marlins  and 
sickle-bills,  where  its  light  colors  make  a  beautiful 
contrast. 


196  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

The  last  four  varieties  are  nearly  similar  in  size 
and  greatly  exceed  the  following,  but  are  far  less 
desirable  in  an  epicurean  point  of  view. 

The  golden  plover  is  one  of  the  finest  birds  that 
flies  ;  it  associates  in  flocks  of  a  thousand,  stools  well, 
is  extremely  fat,  is  delicious  on  the  table,  and  has  a 
peculiarly  musical  whistle.  It  frequents  the  uplands, 
and  feeds  on  grasshoppers.  Its  back  is  marked  with 
a  greenish  red  that  faintly  resembles  gold,  and  gives 
rise  to  its  name.  The  young  are  quite  difierent  in 
plumage. 

The  black-breast  or  b nil-head  is  a  shy  and  rather 
solitary  bird — although  it  occasionally  collects  in 
large  flocks — but  it  is  quite  fat,  and  frequently  killed 
in  the  salt  marshes  over  the  stools  used  for  the  ordi- 
nary bay-birds. 

The  yelper  has  a  strong,  rapid,  and  often  irregular 
flight,  and  a  loud  cry.  It  stools  well,  but  escapes 
rapidly  as  soon  as  shot  at,  darting  from  side  to  side 
in  a  confusing  way,  and  returns  less  confidently  than 
the  willet  or  marlin.  It  pursues  its  coui'se  generally 
high  in  the  clouds,  whence  it  will  drop  like  a  stone 
when  coming  to  the  stools.  On  Long  Island  it  goes 
by  the  name  of  big  yellow-legs  ;  its  call  can  be  heard 
at  an  immense  distance,  and  is  repeated  continually 
as  it  flies.  Gastronomically  considered,  it  is  passa- 
ble, and,  when  fat,  really  excellent. 

The  yellow-legs,  or  little  yellow-legs,  as  it  is 
termed  on  Long  Island,  is  similar  in  appearance  to 
the  yelper,  but  has  a  softer  and  more  flute-like  note, 
and  congregates  in  larger  flocks.    It  stools  admi. 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  197 

rably,  and  is  killed  in  immense  numbers.  Its  flight 
is  rapid  and  irregular,  especially  when  it  is  fright- 
ened ;  and,  as  food,  it  ranks  with  the  yelper. 

The  brant-bird  is  a  beautiful  bird,  and  stools  well; 
it  rarely  consorts  in  large  flocks,  and  is  quite  accept- 
able on  the  table. 

The  robin-snipe  is  a  graceful,  beautiful,  and  deli- 
cious bird;  its  favorite  localities  are  the  meadow- 
islands  of  the  salt  bays  and  lagoons;  its  flight  is 
steady,  and  it  does  not  collect  in  such  immense  flocks 
as  the  last  named  variety.  Its  whistle  consists  of 
two  clear  shrill  notes,  by  which  it  is  readily  attracted ; 
and  its  predominant  colors  are  grey  on  the  back  and 
red  on  the  breast. 

The  dowitcher,  which  is  considered  ornithologi- 
cally  as  the  only  true  snipe  of  them  all,  has  the 
habits  of  the  sandpiper  and  the  distinctive  attributes 
of  the  scolopax ;  it  is  abundant,  extremely  gentle, 
and  excellent  eating.  It  stools  admirably,  coming 
to  any  whistle  whatever ;  and  although  it  can  skiver 
when  alarmed,  it  usually  flies  steadily.  It  associates 
with  the  smaller  birds. 

The  krieker  feeds  on  the  meadows,  remains  till 
late  in  October,  becomes  extremely  fat,  and  is  an 
epicurean  delicacy  ;  it  utters  a  creaking  cry,  but  will 
not  stool  at  all.    It  also  flies  with  the  smaller  snipe. 

Having  thus  mentioned  the  peculiar  distinctive 
qualities  and  characteristics  of  each  bird,  of  which  a 
fuller  description  will  be  given  in  another  place,  wo 
will  now  pass  to  a  consideration  of  the  best  mode  of 
their  pursuit.    This  being  by  stratagem,  the  more 


198  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

thorough  the  deception,  the  more  favorable  will  be 
the  result ;  and  although  they  can  frequently  be 
attracted  by  an  accurate  imitation  of  their  call 
within  reach  of  their  destroyer,  crouched  in  the  open 
field  and  unaided  by  decoys,  they  will  approach 
much  better  to  the  concealed  sportsman  and  well, 
made  stools.  A  stand  is  usually  erected  near  some 
pond  or  bar  where  the  birds  are  in  the  habit  of 
alighting — and  this  can  be  built  in  half  an  hour  of 
bushes  or  roods — high  enough  to  conceal  the  sports- 
man comfoitably  seated  in  his  arm-chair ;  and  as  the 
grass  lias  become  by  the  latter  part  of  August  a  dull 
yellowish  green,  he  may  even  shelter  himself  from 
the  sun's  rays  by  a  brown  cotton  umbrella,  if  he  be 
delicate  or  ease-loving.  His  clothes  should  assi- 
milate to  the  color  of  the  landscape,  and  be  as  cool  as 
possible — for  the  temperature  is  often  oppressively 
hot ;  and  a  waterproof  should  always  be  at  hand  in 
case  of  rain,  to  cover,  not  so  much  the  sportsman 
as  his  gun  and  ammunition,  which  may  be  seri- 
ously injured  by  dampness  and  salt  air  combin- 
ed. 

If  it  is  impracticable  to  build  a  stand,  and  the 
locality  is  sandy,  a  hole  may  be  dug,  with  the  exca- 
vated sand  banked  around  it,  and  the  sportsman  may 
deposit  himself  upon  his  Mackintosh  at  the  bottom. 
However,  to  one  unaccustomed  to  the  posture,  it  is 
difficult  to  rise  and  shoot  from  such  a  position,  and  a 
comfortable  seat  is  far  preferable ;  and  besides,  the 
mosquitoes  are  thicker  near  the  earth ;  the  breeze  has 
less  effect  and  the  sun  more. 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  199 

The  stools  should  be  so  placed  that  they  cau  be 
readily  seen  from  the  line  of  flight,  not  too  high 
above  the  water,  and  the  farthest  not  more  than 
thirty-five  yai'ds  from  the  shooter.  If  too  near  a 
bank,  they  will  be  confounded  with  the  grass,  and  be 
invisible  even  to  the  keen  eye  of  the  snipe.  They 
should  be  scattei'ed  sufficiently  to  allow  each  one  to 
be  distinct,  and  must  be  headed  in  difierent  direc- 
tions, so  that  some  may  present  their  broadsides  to 
every  quarter  of  the  heavens.  They  should  tail 
down  wind,  in  a  measure,  from  the  stand,  as  the  birds, 
no  matter  what  direction  they  come  from,  head  up 
wind  in  order  to  alight,  and  will  make  a  circle  to  do 
so.  In  this  way  they  reach  the  lower  end  of  the 
imitation  flock  first,  and  are  led  safely  close  to  the 
sportsman,  giving  him  an  admirable  opportunity  to 
make  his  selection  from  their  ranks. 

As  the  tide  varies  according  to  the  wind  and  moon, 
and  will  often  cover  with  several  feet  of  water  places 
usually  dry,  it  is  well  to  have  two  sets  of  sticks — one 
set  for  deep  water  much  longer  than  those  for  ordi- 
nary use ;  otherwise,  it  will  occasionally  be  found  im- 
possible to  set  out  the  stools  at  all,  or  they  will  stand 
so  high  above  the  ground  as  to  resemble  bean-poles 
more  than  birds. 

It  is  customary  to  have  in  the  flock,  which  should 
not  be  less  than  forty,  imitations  of  the  different 
species — some  being  brown  to  represent  marlin, 
others  grey,  with  white  breasts  and  a  white  and 
black  streak  over  the  tail  to  stand  for  willet,  and  so 
on ;  but  a  more  important  point  is  to  have  them  large. 


200  BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

Small  stools  cannot  be  seen  far  enough  to  attract  a 
yelper  sailing  amid  the  clouds,  or  a  marlin  sweeping 
along  the  distant  horizon  ;  and  although  it  is  pretty 
and  appropriate  to  have  them  of  suitable  colors,  size 
is  more  necessary.  A  sickle-bill  is  a  large  bird,  and 
I  have  seen  one  tethered  among  the  stools  towering 
above  them,  so  that  the  imitations  looked  puny  by 
comparison,  although  larger  than  they  were  usually 
made.  The  word  stool  is  derived  from  the  Danisl 
stoel,  and  signifies  something  set  up  on  less  than 
four  legs,  but  of  the  mode  or  reason  oi  its  adoption 
we  have  no  record ;  it  is  in  universal  use,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  moi'e  elegant  and  appropriate  term, 
decoy,  which  is  confined  to  imitation  of  wild  fowl. 
Stools  are  ordmarily  made  of  wood,  and  occasionally 
painted  with  great  artistic  care  and  skill ;  and  although 
a  rough  affair,  coarsely  daubed,  seems  often  to  an- 
swer nearly  as  well,  there  are  times  when  the  birds, 
rendered  wild  by  many  hair-breadth  escapes,  look 
sharply  ere  they  draw  near,  and  will  not  approach 
unsightly  blocks  of  wood,  no  matter  how  sweetly 
they  seem  to  whistle. 

As  wooden  stools  take  up  much  room  and  are 
troublesome  to  carry  for  any  distance,  tin  ones  have 
been  made  that  will  pack  together  in  a  small  space. 
By  heading  these,  different  ways,  they  present  a  good 
view  to  the  snii)e,  oxce])t  Avhen  the  latter  are  high 
in  air,  from  wliich  positicjn  they  are  invisible.  To 
remedy  tliis  defect,  it  has  been  suggested  that  a  strip 
of  tin  of  the  width  of  the  body  may  be  soldered 
along  the  upper  edge  ;  and  thus,  while  they  pack 


BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING.  201 

snugly,  a  section  of  the  object  is  presented  in  every 
direction. 

Wooden  stools  are  decidedly  the  best,  especially 
where  it  is  desirable  that  the  birds  should,  alight, 
and  are  in  general  use.  They  are  made  of  pine,  and 
painted  the  distinctive  colors  of  their  prototypes ; 
thus  sickle-bills,  marlin,  and  jacks,  are  all  brown  with 
dark  spots  on  the  back  and  wings  ;  willet,  as  hereto- 
fore described;  yellow-legs,  dark  mottled  grey  on 
the  back  and  wings,  and  white  beneath ;  dowitchers 
brown  on  the  back  and  wings,  and  yellowish-white 
below ;  bull-head  plover  light  on  the  back,  v.'ith  dark 
breasts  ;  robin-snipe  light  grey  on  the  back  and  side, 
and  i-cddish  beneath.  But  the  snipe  are  not  always 
discriminating,  and  a  few  >arieties  will  answer  every 
purpose. 

Stools  are  easily  mnde  and  moderate  in  cost,  and 
eveiy  sportsman  should  have  not  less  than  twenty- 
five  of  his  own,  so  that  in  case  those  that  he  finds  at 
the  country  taverns  for  the  public  use  are  engaged, 
he  may  have  some  to  fall  back  upon — although 
twenty-five  are  not  a  full  supply.  They  may  be 
carried  in  a  bag  or  basket,  Avith  their  feet  and  bills 
removed  ;  and  the  basket  will  be  useful  to  hold  lunch, 
ammunition,  or  game. 

Extempore  representations  can  be  made  from  the 
dead  birds,  although  they  are  not  quite  so  good  as 
the  wooden  ones,  by  cutting  a  forked  stick  with  one 
end  much  longer  than  the  other,  and  thrusting  the 
longer  point  into  the  bird's  neck  and  the  ^  horter  one 
into  its  body.     It  may  then  be  stood  up  in  the  sandj 


203  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

and  will  make  a  decoy  scai'cely  distinguishable  by 
man  from  the  living  prototype,  but  apparently  more 
unnatural  to  the  birds — which  are  sometimes  alarm- 
ed at  its  ghastly  appearance — than  the  ordinary 
stools. 

Very  perfect  stools  are  made  of  India-rubber, 
which,  being  compressible  and  light,  can  be  readily 
transported,  and  are  a  deceptive  imitation ;  their 
principal  defects  are  their  liability  to  injury  from 
shot— which  is  also  the  case  with  wooden  ones — and 
the  facility  with  which  the  hole  where  their  long  leg 
is  inserted  becomes  torn — an  accident  that  entirely 
destroys  their  usefulness.  They  can  be  packed  in  a 
small  compass,  and  are  infinitely  the  best  article 
where  they  are  to  be  carried  long  distances.  Al- 
though of  necessity  undersized,  their  full  plump  shape 
makes  them  visible  at  a  considerable  distance. 

To  prevent  the  bills,  which  are  the  most  delicate 
part,  from  being  injured,  it  is  necessary  to  make 
them  rather  thicker  than  those  of  the  living  bird ; 
they  are  to  be  painted  dark-brown,  blue,  or  grey,  ac- 
cording to  circumstances ;  and  their  loss,  although 
it  may  not  diminish  the  attractiveness,  destroys  the 
beauty  of  the  fictitious  flock.  More  important  than 
perfection  of  decoys,  is  accuracy  in  whistling ;  this 
should  be  a  perfect  imitation  and  answer  to  the  call 
of  the  bird,  and  will  often  allure  him  to  the  fowler 
without  any  decoys  whatever.  It  is  impossible  to 
describe  the  calls  on  paper,  and  long  practice  will 
alone  give  a  thorough  knowledge  of  them  ;  they  are 
generally  shiill  and  loud  ;  the  shriller  and  louder  the 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  203 

better — for  man's  best  efforts  will  rarely  equal  the 
bird's  natural  powers.  The  yelper  has  a  clear,  bold 
cry,  and  the  willet  a  fierce  shriek  that  can  be  heard 
for  miles  ;  and  if  listened  to  from  a  distance,  it  will 
be  found  that  the  bird's  call  can  be  heard  twice  the 
distance  of  the  man's  answer.  It  is  true  that  when 
the  snipe  are  near  at  hand  and  about  alighting,  a 
lower  whistle  is  better,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  more 
perfect,  and  because  the  cry  changes  to  a  note  ol 
welcome  when  the  flock  receives  its  fellows.  And 
often,  when  the  birds  once  head  for  the  stools,  if  not 
distracted  by  neighboring  stands,  or  alarmed,  they 
will  come  straight  on  without  any  whistling,  although 
this  is  by  no  means  invariably  the  case. 

Many  persons  find  insuperable  difficulty  in  whis- 
tling the  clear,  shrill,  sharp  calls  ;  and  for  them  arti- 
ficial whistles  have  been  manufactured  with  a  hole 
at  the  lower  end,  which,  being  opened  or  closed  by 
the  finger,  like  the  holes  in  a  flute,  regulates  the 
sound.  These  artificial  whistles  are  not  so  good  as 
a  perfectly  trained  natural  one ;  the  sound  is  not 
sufficiently  reed-like,  and  they  occupy  and  confine 
one  hand  when  it  should  be  free  to  seek  the  gun. 
They  are  suspended  from  the  button-hole  by  a  string, 
so  that  they  can  be  dropped  in  an  instant ;  but  are 
only  used  out  of  necessity. 

A  curious  one,  to  be  held  in  the  mouth,  has  been 
invented  of  a  wedge-shaped  piece  of  tin  in  the  form 
of  an  axe-head,  with  two  holes  through  the  sides. 
The  sound  is  regulated  by  the  tongue,  and  is  alto- 
gether more  correct  than  that  of  any  other  whistle ; 


204  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

but  more  time  and  patience  are  required  to  learn  the 
use  of  this  invention  than  of  the  lips.  It  will  be  far 
better  for  the  sportsman  who  intends  to  pursue  this 
sport,  to  practise  with  the  organs  that  nature  has 
given  him,  however  much  time  or  perseverance  may 
be  necessary,  and  then  there  will  be  no  danger  of 
leaving  his  whistle  at  home. 

As  before  remarked,  the  great  drawback  to  the 
sport  of  shooting  bay-snipe  is  its  uncertainty  ;  if  the 
fliglit  has  not  come  on,  or  a  westerly  wind  has  driven 
the  birds  to  sea,  or  a  heavy  north-easter  carries  them 
with  it  high  in  air  and  prevents  their  stopping — 
there  will  be  no  shooting ;  and  the  most  experienced 
hand  will  often  receive  the  comforting  assurance 
which  is  always  bestowed  upon  the  inexperienced, 
that  if  he  had  only  come  two  weeks  sooner,  or  de- 
ferred his  visit  two  weeks  longer,  he  would  have 
been  sure  of  fine  sport.  There  are  nevertheless  cer* 
tain  general  rules  that  furnish  a  tolerable  criterion  ; 
and  laying  aside  the  spring  shooting,  which  occurs 
in  May,  and  is  extremely  uncertain,  the  main  flight 
of  small  birds — such  asdowitchers  and  yellow-legs — 
commences  about  the  tenth  of  July,  and  of  large 
birds  about  the  fifteenth  of  August.  Each  lasts  about 
two  weeks. 

The  flight  of  large  birds  usually  termiii-ates  with  a 
short  flight  of  yellow-legs,  and  is  followed  by  the 
plover,  which  are  succeeded  by  the  kriekers.  An 
easterly  storm  generally  brings  the  birds,  either  by 
bearing  them  from  their  northern  homes,  or  by  forc- 
ing them  in  from  the  sea,  where  the  mnin  body  is 


BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING.  205 

supposed  to  fly ;  and  if  such  a  stonii  occur  at  eithei 
of  these  periods,  and  be  succeeded  by  a  south-wester- 
ly wind,  it  will  surely  be  followed  by  an  abundance 
of  the  appropriate  birds. 

During  an  easterly  blow  they  will  be  seen  passing 
by  Point  Judith  in  an  almost  unbroken  line ;  and 
after  it,  they  abound  throughout  the  whole  length 
of  the  coast,  as  though  they  had  been  carried  to  all 
parts  of  it  at  once.  But  if  no  such  storm  occur, 
the  catching  the  flight  is  a  mere  chance  ;  and  where 
the  summer  has  been  dry,  the  snipe  will  be  scarce. 
If  the  meadows  have  been  kept  moist  by  continual 
showers,  there  will  be  a  moderate  supply  of  game 
the  summer  through ;  but  if  there  has  been  a  drought, 
the  surface  becomes  too  hard  for  the  snails  and  in- 
sects to  inhabit,  or  for  the  birds  to  penetrate  ;  a  scar- 
city of  food  results,  and  there  will  be  no  flight  what- 
ever. 

Scattering  birds,  wandering  away  from  their  fel- 
lows and  exhausted  with  hunger,  delighted  at  be- 
holding their  friends  apparentlj''  feeding,  will  be 
killed  perhaps  in  numbers  sufficient  to  make  now 
and  then  a  decent  bag ;  but  what  is  known  as  the 
"  flight" — when  the  great  army  moves  its  vast  co- 
horts, division  after  division,  regiment  after  regiment, 
company  after  company — will  not  take  place.  How 
they  reach  the  south  no  one  can  accurately  tell ; 
they  either  fly  inland  or  out  at  sea  high  in  the  air, 
or  late  at  night ;  but  their  returning  myriads  in  the 
spring  following,  prove  that  in  some  way  they  did 
reach  their  southern  winter  homes. 


20G  BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

Notwithstanding  the.  greatest  experience,  and  de- 
spite the  most  favorable  signs,  the  oldest  gunner  will 
find  that  more  or  less  micertainty  exists  in  obtaining 
Bport,  and  that  his  unhicky  expeditions  generally  out- 
number his  lucky  ones.  Often  a  flight  will  commence 
unexpiictedly  and  without  any  apparent  reason ; 
and  a  change  of  weather,  after  a  long  continuance  of 
wind  from  one  quarter,  will  be  followed  by  good 
shooting  for  some  days,  although  such  weather  is 
not  intrinsically  favorable.  The  follower  of  bay- 
birds  must  therefore  make  up  his  mind  to  disap- 
pointment, and  on  such  occasions  live  on  his  hopes 
for  the  future,  or  his  recollections  of  the  past. 

For  this  sport  a  heavy  gun,  such  as  is  commonly 
emj^loyed  for  ducks,  is  not  at  all  necessary  ;  inasmuch 
as  many  of  the  birds  are  small  and  the  flocks  fre- 
quently scattered,  it  is  rarely  desirable  to  use  two 
ounces  of  shot  and  five  drachms  of  powder ;  and  to 
fire  such  a  charge  at  a  solitary  dowitcher,  as  is  often 
done,  is  simply  ridiculous.  A  light  field-gun,  with 
an  ounce  and  a  quarter  of  shot  and  three  drachms 
and  a  half  of  powder,  (or,  as  I  prefer,  an  ounce  of  shot 
and  three  drachms  of  powder,)  is  amply  sufl[icient — 
will  confer  more  pleasure  and  require  more  skill  in 
the  use,  will  cut  down  a  reasonable  number  from  a 
flock,  and  will  kill  a  single  bird  handsomely. 

The  gun  should  be  kept  at  half-cock,  and  may  be 
laid  upon  a  bench  beside  the  sportsman  ;  there  is 
always  time  to  cock  it,  even  if  a  flock  is  not  seen  till 
it  is  over  the  stools  ;  and  a  gun  at  full  cock  in  a  stand, 
is  a  danger  that  no  reasonable  man  will  encounter. 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  207 

In  field-shooting,  I  do  not  approve  of  carrying  the 
gun  at  half-cock,  believing,  for  certain  reasons  un- 
necessary here  to  repeat,  that  it  is  less  dangerous  at 
full-cock  3  but  in  a  stand  or  in  a  house,  or  in  fact 
anywliere  but  in  the  field  where  it  is  always  in  the 
sportsman's  hand,  it  should  be  never  otherwise  than 
at  half-cock.  It  is  common  to  pass  in  front  of  guns 
lying  on  the  bench  in  the  stand,  and  they  often  fall 
off,  and  are  usually  reached  for  by  the  sportsman 
while  his  eye  is  on  the  advancing  flock,  and  does  not 
note  whether  his  hand  grasps  the  barrel  or  the  trig- 
gers ;  and  there  is  an  excitement,  when  the  flight  is 
rapid,  sufficiently  perilous  of  itself  in  connexion  with 
fire-arms,  without  uselessly  increasing  it.  Every 
precaution  should  therefore  be  taken ;  and  if  by  acci- 
dent the  gun  "which  cannot  go  off  at  half-cock  shall 
be  discharged  in  cocking  or  uncocking  it,  it  will 
point  forward,  away  from  the  stand,  and  in  such  a 
direction  that  injury  to  human  life  cannot  follow. 

Next  in  importance  to  care  in  preventing  the 
gun's  injuring  a  fellow-creature,  is  care  in  prevent- 
ing its  being  injured.  The  least  dampness,  whether 
from  fog  or  rain,  and  even  the  salt  air  alone,  will  rust 
the  delicate  steel  and  iron,  and,  penetrating  farther 
and  farther,  make  indentations  that  will  spoil  its 
beauty  and  injure  its  effectiveness  permanently.  To 
prevent  this,  oil  frequently  applied  is  the  only  reme- 
dy ;  a  rag  well  oiled,  and  a  bottle  to  replenish  from, 
should  be  among  the  ordinary  equipments,  and  in- 
variably taken  to  the  shooting-ground ;  the  first 
symptom  of  rust  or  even  discoloration  should  be  re- 


208  BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

moved,  and  every  portion  of  the  iron-wo/k  kept 
well  lubricated.  At  night  a  waterproof  covering 
should  be  used,  and  the  charge  invariably  left  un. 
drawn,  as  the  dirt  prevents  oxydization  for  a  time  : 
and  during  a  rain  the  utmost  care  should  be  taken 
to  protect,  if  not  the  entire  gun,  at  least  the  locks  and 
trigger-plate.  Kerosene  oil  is  excellent  to  remove 
rust,  but  is  too  thin  to  form  a  coating,  and  not  so 
good  a  protection  as  sweet  or  whale  oil.  Varnish 
is  highly  recommended,  but  I  have  never  known 
any  one  to  try  it ;  and  in  case  no  oil  can  be  obtain- 
ed, the  guimers  on  Long  Island  are  in  the  habit  of 
shooting  a  small  snipe,  which  is  often  extremely  fat, 
and  using  its  skin  as  an  oiled  rag. 

Of  course  with  a  breech-loader  the  charge  is  with- 
drawn, and  the  cleaning  apparatus  may  be  forced 
through  every  evening,  although  this  is  unnecessary, 
as  the  dirt  is  rather  a  protection :  and  after  the  cleaning, 
whether  of  the  muzzle-loader  or  breech-loader,  the 
barrels  should  be  well  oiled  both  inside  and  out.  If, 
however,  the  gun  is  to  be  left  for  a  long  time  unused 
and  exposed  to  salt  air,  a  piece  of  greasy  rag  wound 
upon  a  stick  may  be  thrust  into  the  barrels  to  the 
bottom,  and  oil  should  be  liberally  applied  to  the  ex- 
posed parts.  Moreover,  the  locks,  hou'ever  well 
they  may  fit,  will  be  injured  after  a  while,  and  should 
be  removed  and  examined  occasionally.  The  size  of 
shot  used  should  be  changed  according  to  the  season 
and  character  of  the  flight ;  in  July,  Avhen  the  yellow- 
legs  and  dowitchers  are.  the  principal  victims,  No.  8 
is  abundantly  large ;  but  in  August,  when  curlews, 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  209 

marliii,  and  willets  ai*e  flying,  all  of  which  are  able 
to  endure  severe  punishment,  Ko.  6  is  preferable. 
Eley's  cartridges  are  often  useful  with  grass-plover, 
although  they  ball  so  frequently  that  the  majority 
of  sportsmen  have  lost  faith  in  them. 

Favorable  seasons  for  snipe,  when  heavy  or  re- 
peated rains  have  saturated  the  meadows,  and  filled 
every  hollow  with  stagnant  pools  of  dirty  water,  are 
also  favorable  for  mosquitoes.  Persons  who  suffer 
from  the  bites  of  this  pestiferous  insect — and  the 
difference  between  individuals  upon  this  subject  is 
remarkable — should  prepare  themselves  witli  mos- 
quito-nets and  ill-scented  oils,  as  they  would  for  a 
visit  to  the  wild  woods ;  while  those  who  are  much 
affected  by  the  sun  should  bring  unguents  with 
which  to  temper  its  intensity  and  assuage  the  pain 
that  its  burning  rays  inflict. 

Shoes  are  the  proper  things  for  the  feet,  as  boots 
become  heated  and  uncomfortable ;  and  a  brown 
linen  jacket  with  white  flannel  pantaloons,  thick 
enough  to  resist  the  attacks  of  a  mosquito,  and 
with  the  necessary  underclothes  for  an  exceptionally 
cold  day,  constitute  the  most  practical  rig. 

If  the  sportsman  use  a  muzzle-loader — which  he 
should  not  do  if  he  can  afford  to  buy  a  breech- 
loader— he  must  have  a  loading-stick  which  he  can 
extemporize  from  his  cleaning-rod  by  substituting  a 
ramrod  head  for  the  jag.  This  he  docs  by  simply 
having  a  piece  of  brass  of  the  proper  size  and  shape 
to  screw  into  the  place  of  the  latter.  He  should  also 
have  two  guns,  or  he  loses  the  chance  at  the  return- 


210  BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

ing  flock,  which  is  the  most  exciting,  as  it  is  often 
the  most  successful  shot. 

The  powder  should  be  coarse ;  the  large  grain  of 
the  ducking-powder  being  alone  fitterl  to  withstand 
the  deleterious  effects  of  the  moisture  that  is  an  inva- 
riable concomitant  of  the  salt  atmosphere  of  the 
ocean. 

One  great  difficulty  that  the  writer  has  encoun- 
tered in  preparing  this  work,  is  a  proper  selection  of 
names — the  natural  history  of  our  country  is  popu- 
larly so  little  understood;  to  cojjy  English  names 
and  apply  them  to  ci'eatures  bearing  a  faint  resem- 
blance in  general  coloi'ing,  though  neither  in  habits 
nor  scientific  distinctions,  was  so  natural  to  the  first 
immigrants,  and  the  introduction  of  a  proper  appel- 
lation is  so  nearly  impossible,  that  the  confusion  in 
nomenclature  of  our  birds,  beasts,  and  fishes  is  hardly 
surprising.  This  confusion  existing  in  every  depart- 
ment of  natural  history — confounding  fish  of  all  vari- 
eties, leaving  birds  nameless,  or  giving  them  too 
many  names — culminates  among  the  bay-snipe. 

Although  the  bony-fish  or  mossbunkers  of  New 
York  become  the  menhaden  of  the  Eastern  States, 
and  king-fish  are  transformed  into  barb  in  New 
Jersey,  and  perch  become  pickerel  in  the  west — 
there  are  rarely  more  than  two  names,  and  every 
fish  has  some  designation  ;  but  with  bay-snipe,  after 
an  infinite  multiplication  of  names  for  certain  species, 
others  are  left  entirely  unnamed.  Many  that  are 
frequently  killed  are  without  a  j)opular  designation, 
and  more  still  are  called  frost-bii-ds,  .and  meadow- 


BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING.  211 

snipe,  and  beach-birds — names  that  might  with  justice 
bo  applied  to  the  entire  class,  and  which  are  so 
utterly  confused,  that  persons  from  diflferent  sections 
of  the  country  do  not  know  what  others  are  talking 
about.  To  make  matters  worse,  the  scientific  gen- 
tlemen have  stepped  in,  and  after  indulging  in  plenty 
of  bad  Latin,  have  added  fresh  English  appellations, 
more  unmeaning  and  less  appropriate  if  possible  than 
the  common  ones. 

From  this  mass  of  incongruities  the  writer  has 
endeavored,  while  preserving  the  best  name,  to  select 
the  one  in  general  use,  bearing  in  mind  that  names 
are  mere  substitutes,  and  not  descriptive  adjectives. 
The  name  frost-bird  or  frost-snipe — which  belongs  to 
entirely  different  creatures — is  applicable  to  every 
bird  that  appears  after  a  frost,  and  as  nearly  a  hundred 
varieties  are  in  this  category,  it  is  not  distinctive ; 
the  names  meadow-snipe  and  beach-bird  are  ridicu- 
lous, but  the  latter,  being  applied  to  an  unimportant 
class,  is  allowed  to  stand.  The  snipe  that  is  herein 
called  a  krieker,  or,  as  it  may  be  spelled,  creaker, 
which  utters  a  hoarse,  creaking  note,  is  called  in  vari- 
ous places  meadow-snipe — although  most  of  the  bay- 
birds  haunt  the  meadows ;  fat-bird,  whereas  others 
are  equally  fat ;  and  short  neck,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  its  neck  is  longer  than  some  species;  while 
ornithologists  call  it  pectoral  sandpiper,  probably 
because  it  has  a  breast.  So  also  with  the  brant-bird, 
which  is  called  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  horsefoot- 
snipe,  because  it  feeds  on  the  spawn  ot  the  horse- 
foot  ;  notwithstanding  that  the  yellow-legs  and  seve- 


212  BAY-SNIPE   SHOOTING. 

ral  others  do  the  same.  The  name,  however,  is  not 
satisfactory  on  account  of  .its  similarity  to  the  brant 
or  "brent-goose ;  and  probably  the  scientific  desig- 
nation, turnstone,  if  it  were  at  all  in  common 
acceptation,  would  be  better.  It  is  to  be  hoped  these 
names  will  at  some  day  be  harmonized  by  universal 
consent,  and  these  pages  will  at  least  make  mutual 
comprehension  open  the  way  for  that  desirable  result. 
The  sickle-bill,  jack-curlew,  marlin,  willet,  golden- 
plover,  yelper,  dowitcher,  and  krieker,  are  excellent; 
and  the  ring-tailed  marlin,  black-breast  plover,  yel- 
low-legs, and  robin-snipe,  are  at  least  descriptive. 
Were  these  generally  accepted,  a  simple  and  tole- 
rably accurate  system  of  nomenclature  would  be 
obtained;  and  it  has  been  my  effort,  while  placing 
the  preferable  name  at  the  head  of  the  description  of 
each  variety,  to  collate  all  the  other  names  that  in 
any  section  of  our  vast  territory  are  applied  to  the 
same  bird.  In  this  attempt  I  can  only  be  partially 
successful;  for  the  ingenuity  of  the  American  people 
in  coining  new  names,  added  to  a  profound  ignorance 
of  ornithology,  has  produced  a  confusion  that  no  one 
man  can  reduce  to  order. 

Bay-snipe,  except  the  plovers,  kriekers,  and  a  few 
others,  are  not  considered  delicate  eating,  contract- 
ing along  the  salt  marshes  a  sedgy  flavor ;  but  on 
the  shores  of  the  western  lakes,  where  the  fresh 
water  appears  to  remove  this  peculiarity,  the  yellow- 
legs  and  yelpers — which  are  often  found  in  consi- 
derable numbers,  and  are  called  by  the  general 
appellation  of  plovers — are  almost  equal  in  tender, 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  215 

juicy  delicacy  to  the  English  sni2>e.  Whether  the 
same  change  is  noticeable  in  the  larger  varieties,  I 
cannot  say  of  iny  own  knowledge. 

The  gunners  have  an  ingenious  way  of  stringing 
them  in  bunches  of  a  half  dozen  each,  on  the  longest 
feathers  taken  from  their  wings,  a  pair  of  these  being 
tied  together  by  the  feather  ends,  and  the  quillpoints 
thrust  through  the  nostrils  of  the  birds.  It  is  desi- 
rable to  put  them  up  in  small  bunches,  as  under  the 
warm  temperature  of  summer  they  will,  unless  every 
precaution  is  exercised,  soon  become  tainted.  To 
prevent  this,  the  entrails  should  also  bo  carefully 
I'emoved  without  disturbing  the  plumage ;  and  a 
little  salt,  or,  as  many  persons  recommend,  coffee, 
rubbed  inside,  and  they  should  be  at  all  times  care- 
fully protected  from  the  sun.  Their  sedgy  flavor 
grows  stronger  with  every  day  they  are  kept ;  and 
being  extremely  oily,  the  least  taint  renders  them, 
together  with  all  the  wild  inhabitants  of  the  coast, 
unfit  for  food. 

Bay-snipe  are  essentially  migratory,  rarely  stop- 
ping on  our  shores  to  build  their  nests  and  rear  their 
yoimg ;  during  the  spring  months  they  pass  to  or 
beyond  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and  attend  to  the 
duties  of  maternity  in  the  vast  levels  and  swamps 
that  surround  Hudson's  Bay,  and  constitute  a  large 
portion  of  the  northern  part  of  British  North  Ame- 
I'ica.  In  my  ramblings  through  the  Provinces,  I  was 
frequently  informed  that  they  abounded  during  the 
latter  part  of  summer  on  the  mai'shes  near  the  Bay 
Chaleur  in  New  Brunswick.     This  must  evidently 


31 C  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

have  been  during  their  return  flight;  but  whether 
they  were  our  bay-birds  in  their  vast  variety,  or 
whether  they  were  merely  the  flocks  of  golden 
plover  that  follow  the  Avinding  of  the  coast  and  sub- 
sequently visit  Nantucket  and  Montauk  Point,  I  had 
no  opportunity  to  determine  by  personal  experience. 

With  us  they  make  their  appearance  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Boston  Bay,  and  thence  they  are  found, 
with  various  intermissions,  caused  by  tlie  nature  of 
the  ground,  all  the  way  to  the  State  of  Texas.  The 
innumerable  bays,  sounds,  and  lagoons  of  our  South- 
ern States,  inclosed  by  broad  meadows  and  includ- 
ing thousands  of  marshy  islands,  are  their  favorite 
feeding-grounds,  and  are  visited  by  them  in  imnmii- 
bered  thousands.  The  larger  varieties  may  be  seen 
there  all  through  the  fall  quietly  feeding,  and  scarce- 
ly noticing  the  approach  of  man.  In  Texas  they 
seem  to  congregate  in  vast  bodies,  and  probably  move 
off  to  or  beyond  the  equator  in  the  early  winter 
months,  although  this  hns  never  been  positively  as- 
certained. 

They  are  not  killed  as  game  south  of  Virginia, 
and  rarely  south  of  New  Jersey  ;  in  f  ict,  it  may  be 
said  that  only  on  Cape  Cod,  Long  Island,  and  the 
shore  line  of  New  Jersey,  are  they  scientifically  pur- 
sued. At  these  places  the  sport  has  greatly  dimi- 
nished of  late  years ;  a  few  years  ago  Barn;>table  beach 
was  a  celebrated  resort ;  and  at  Quog;ie,  parties 
used  no  stools,  but  stationed  themselves  along  the 
narrow  neck  that  connects  the  beach  with  the  main 
land,  and  fired  till  their  guns  were  dirty  or  their  am- 


BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING.  31 7 

munition  exhausted.  Then  it  was  no  unusual  thing 
to  expend  twenty-five  pounds  of  shot  in  a  day,  where 
now  the  sportsman  that  could  use  up  five  would  be 
fortunate. 

Of  all  the  locations  on  this  extent  of  meadow  and 
beach,  no  place  is  so  famous,  from  its  natural  advan- 
tages and  its  ancient  reputation,  as  Quogue.  Once 
on  a  time  the  best  pond  was  permanently  occupied  by 
a  famous  Governor,  a  still  more  famjgus  General,  and 
a  notorious  Colonel — although  the  latter  was  not  *'  in 
the  bond  ;"  but  there  are  other  good  stands,  and  for 
small  birds — yellow-legs,  dowitchers,  and  robin-snipe 
— it  has  no  equal.  Although  many  flocks  pass  it 
high  in  air,  all  those  that  follow  the  coast,  low  down 
to  the  earth,  must  cross  the  meadows  that  are  com- 
pressed to  a  narrow  strip  at  this  point,  which  is  the 
dividing-ground  between  the  two  great  bays  on  the 
south  side  of  Long  Island. 

Unfortunately,  a  watering-place  for  the  summer 
resort  of  the  exquisites  of  New  York  has  been  es- 
tablished in  the  vicinity,  and  the  consequent  advan- 
tages of  comfortable  beds  and  a  good  table  are  more 
than  overborne  by  the  annoyance  of  such  companion- 
ship. If  there  be  a  flight  of  birds,  every  unfledged 
sportsman  takes  out  his  elegant  fowling-piece,  and, 
daintily  dressed,  proceeds  to  the  meadow,  where 
he  would  be  comparatively  harmless,  and  dangerous 
only  to  himself,  were  there  room  for  him  and  his 
fellows.  But  as  the  ground  is  limited,  and  the 
favorable  points  few,  he  is  sure  to  interfere ;  and,  while 
killing  nothing  liiinself,  ruins  the  prospects  of  those 


218  BAY-SNIPE  SHOOTING. 

who  could  do  better.  At  Quogue,  decoys  were  first 
used  about  the  year  1850,  and  the  best  day's  sport  of 
late  was  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  birds. 

West  of  Quogue  there  are  some  snipe,  and  occa- 
sionally a  good  flight  at  South  Oyster  Bay,  and 
more  rarely  still  at  Rockaway  ;  but  the  large  birds 
are  not  numerous  north  of  New  Jersey.  Squan 
Beach,  Barnegat,  Egg  Harbor,  and  Brigantine  Beach 
are  famous  for  the  large  birds — the  sickle-bills,  cur- 
lews, willets,  and  marlins — that  visit  them ;  the 
same  number  of  shots  cannot  be  obtained  as  at 
Quogue,  but  the  bag  is  larger.  At  the  former 
places  there  is  also  a  flight,  of  greater  or  less  extent, 
of  dowitchers  and  yellow-legs,  but  these  are  not  so 
abundant  as  along  the  margin  of  the  Great  South 
Bay  of  Long  Island.  On  the  other  hand,  a  bag  of 
one  hundred  of  the  larger  vai'ieties  is  not  unusual ; 
while  at  Egg  Harbor  the  robin-snipe,  which  affect 
marshy  islands  are  exceedingly  numerous. 

Twenty  years  ago  there  was  good  bay-snipe  shoot- 
ing at  what  is  termed  "Fire  Island,"  and  even  in 
the  year  1883  there  was  a  remarkable  flight  late  in 
the  fall.  But  the  cry  of  old  George,  which  the 
gunners  of  "long  ago  "welcomed  in  their  youth, 
is  never  heard  now;  George  and  his  salutation  have 
departed,  and  "AYake  up,  all  them  as  is  goin' 
sniping  "  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    JERSEY    COAST.  * 

"  A  Girl  from  New  Jersey T 

Why  is  it  that  every  one  who  visits  New  Jersey 
comes  away  with  an  ecstatic  impression  of  Jersey 
girls  that  he  never  can  forget  ?  Lovely  they  are,  it 
is  true,  but  not  more  beautiful  than  other  fair  ones 
of  America ;  affable,  gentle,  graceful,  sprightly — ^but 
these  qualities  are  common  in  our  angel-favored 
country.  Yet  no  one  that  has  been  blessed  with 
their  company  can  forget  them,  but  carries  for  ever 
in  his  heart  the  image  of  one,  if  not  two  or  three, 
Jersey  girls. 

These  reflections  were  suggested  to  the  writer  by 
the  recollection  of  his  first  trip,  many  years  ago,  to 
the  Jersey  coast.  The  summer  had  been  oppres- 
sively hot,  and  being  detained  in  town  during  the 
fore  part  of  August,  he  was  glad  to  avail  himself  of 
the  first  chance  to  escape  from  the  city  and  betake 
himself  to  the  cool,  invigorating  breezes  of  the  sea- 
shore. Not  knowing  precisely  what  route  to  follow, 
he  trusted  himself  on  board  the  train  without  any 
definite  destination,  and,  upon  inquiry,  was  informed 
that  a  good  place  for  bay-shooting  was-  at  Tommy 
Cook's,  near  the  coast,  and  about  four  miles  from 


220  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

one  of  the  last  stations  on  the  road,  where,  under 
the  charge  of  the  Quaker  host,  considerable  com- 
fort could  be  had. 

To  Cook's,  therefore,  upon  reaching  the  station, 
the  writer  told  the  driver  of  what  seemed  to  be  a 
mongrel  public  coach,  that  he  wanted  to  go  ;  but  in 
thoughtlessness,  never  conceiving  that  there  could  be 
two  Cooks,  he  omitted  the  Tommy  that  should  have 
preceded  the  direction.  His  surprise  was  by  no 
means  moderate  to  find,  upon  reaching  his  destina- 
tion, the  supposed  Quaker  host  slightly  inebriated, 
dancing  a  solitary  hornpipe  to  an  admiring  circle. 
Thinking  perhaps  that  that  was  the  custom  of  Jersey 
Quakers — for  the  State  is  exceptional  in  certain 
things — he  took  a  glass  of  bad  whiskey  with  the 
jovial  landlord,  made  proposals,  much  to  every  one's 
surprise,  to  go  shooting  the  day  following,  and  re- 
tired early. 

!N"ext  morning  a  short  walk  dissipated  all  idea  of 
finding  game,  and  having  made  the  discovery  that 
he  was  still  fifteen  miles  from  the  j^roper  shooting- 
ground  on  the  beach,  he  returned  to  the  house,  and 
in  order  to  enjoy  a  few  hours  ere  the  wagon  for  his 
further  transportation  would  be  ready,  joined  a 
bathing  party.  It  was  quite  a  sociable  affair ;  both 
sexes,  dressed  in  their  bathing  clothes — the  girls 
without  shoes — crowded  down  in  the  bottom  of  an 
open  wagon.  But  surely  it  is  not  fair  to  tell  how 
one  of  the  flannel-encased  nymphs  nearly  fell  from 
the  wagon,  and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  the  writer, 
who  had  jumped  out  for  the  purpose  ;  nor  how  the 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  231 

rest  drove  off  to  leave  them ;  nor  how  he  bore  his 
•  lovely  burden — ^plastic  grace  and  beauty  personified 
— bravely  in  pursuit ;  nor  how  his  foot  chanced  to 
trip  —  accidentally,  of  course  —  and  they  fell  and 
rolled  in  the  sand  together.  If  he  would  tell,  he 
could  not ;   words  do  not  exist  for  the  purpose. 

He  had,  however,  all  ho  could  do  to  explain 
the  accident  and  pacify  the  nymph.  If  she  had 
known  how  much  of  solidity  there  was  in  her  love- 
liness, and  how  little  of  romance  in  the  deep  yield- 
ing sand,  she  might  have  more  readily  accepted  the 
excuse  of  weariness.  K  the  grasshopper  becomes  a 
burden  under  certain  circumstances,  why  may  not 
a  naiad  ? 

The  road  to  the  beach  lay  through  a  village  for- 
merly known  by  the  euphonious  and  distinctive  title 
of  Crab  Town — a  village  of  a  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  was  evening  ere  Crab  Town  was  reached,  and 
just  beyond,  the  driver  came  upon  a  bevy  of  female 
acquaintances.  In  a  moment  the  suggestion  was 
made  that  they  should  ride;  after  a  little  demur 
they  accepted,  and  were  crowded  in.  The  stage 
was  not  large,  but  there  would  have  been  room  if 
they  had  been  twice  as  numerous ;  they  filled  every 
seat,  and  every  lap  besides. 

There  are  days  in  one's  lifetime  that  should  be 
celebrated  as  anniversaries ;  and  if  any  gentleman 
has  carried  in  his  arms,  albeit  with  true  tenderness, 
one  charming  Jersey  girl  in  the  morning,  and  has 
had  another  equally  charming  sit  on  his  lap  in  the 
evening,  he  may  look  upon  that  day  as  never -iikely 
to  repeat  itself. 


222  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

There  was  a  hum  of  pleasant  voices — words  like, 
"  Oh !  Deb,  we  should  not  have  got  in ;"  "  Why, 
Mary,  we  may  as  well  ride — it's  all  in  our  Avay." 
**'  But  these  gentlemen  are  strangers,  and  may  think 
it  wrong  of  us."  '*0h,  Lib,  don't  talk  that  way; 
they  know  better."  We  assured  them  that  nothing 
could  be  more  perfectly  proper.  So  situated, 
the  ride  appeared  very  short,  and  the  next  mile, 
which  was  as  fhr  as  our  delightful  freight  would  go, 
was  passed  seemingly  in  about  a  minute  and  a  half, 
decidedly  the  fastest  time  on  record.  At  the  end 
of  it,  on  a  suggestion  from  the  driver,  who  lived  in 
that  section  and  knew  the  country,  toll  was  taken 
of  their  rosy  lips  as  passage-money.  Jersey  is  a 
glorious  place. 

Passing  Charley's,  as  he  is  generally  called,  the 
son  of  the  old  man,  who  for  years  was  famous  as  the 
first  hunter  in  that  land,  we  turned  off  beyond,  down 
the  beach.  The  bay  between  the  mainland  and  the 
sand-bar,  known  everywhere  as  "  The  Beach,"  was 
narrow,  widening  slowly  as  we  advanced,  until,  at 
the  end  of  our  seven  miles'  journey,  it  was  nearly 
three  miles  across.  There  was  little  vegetation  be- 
side salt  grass  and  bay-berry  bushes ;  but  of  the 
animal  kingdom  the  only  representatives — the  mos- 
quitoes— were  thicker  than  the  mind  of  man  can 
conceive ;  they  rose  in  crowds,  pursuing  us  fiercely, 
covering  the  horses  in  an  unbroken  mass,  settling 
upon  ourselves,  flying  into  our  eyes,  crawling  upon 
our  necks,  stinging  through  our  clothes,  and  filling 
the  air.    Although  small,  they  were  hungry  be- 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  223 

yond  belief,  and,  following  their  prey  relentlessly, 
compelled  us  to  fight  them  off  with  bushes  of  bay- 
berry  for  our  lives. 

Mosquitoes  are  found  plentifully  at  our  summer 
watering-places,  and  still  more  numerously  in  the 
wild  woods,  grow  abundantly  in  Canada,  and  are 
over-plentiful  at  Lake  Superior ;  but  nowhere  ai'e 
they  so  merciless,  fierce,  and  numerous,  as,  on  occa- 
sions, at  the  New  Jersey  beach.  They  are  a  beauti- 
ful little  creature,  delicate,  graceful,  and  elegant, 
but  obtrusive  in  their  attentions;  although  the 
ardent  lover  was  anxious  to  be  bitten  by  the  same 
mosquito  that  had  bitten  his  lady-love,  that  their 
blood  might  mingle  in  the  same  body. 

One  good  effect  they  had,  however,  was  to  com- 
pel the  driver  to  urge  on  his  weary  team,  and  leave 
him  no  time  to  gossip  at  Jakey's  Tavern,  over  the 
beach  party  that  was  to  be  held  there  next  day.  A 
beach  party  is  another  delightful  institution  of  the 
Jerseyites,  and  consists  of  a  congregation  of  the 
youths  of  both  sexes,  especially  the  female,  collected 
from  the  main  shore,  and  meeting  on  the  beach  for 
a  frolic,  a  dance,  and  a  bath.  As  it  rarely  breaks 
up  till  daylight,  the  pleasantest  intimacies  are  some- 
times formed,  and  soft  words  uttered  that  could  not 
be  wrung  from  blushing  beauty  in  broad  day. 

The  establishment  of  the  "  old  man" — the  sporting 
"  old  man,"  not  the  political  one — since  he  has  been 
gathered  to  his  forefathers,  is  kept  up  by  his  son-in- 
law,  usually  known  by  the  abbreviation — Bill.  It 
is  not  an  elegant  place ;  sportsmen  do  not  demand 


224  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

elegance,  and  willingly  sleep,  if  not  in  the  same  room, 
in  chambers  tliat  lead  into  one  another ;  but  it  is 
situated  -vvithin  a  hundred  yards  of  the  best  shooting 
ground,  and  is  as  well  kept  as  any  other  tavern  on 
the  beach.  Sportsmen  do  not  mind"  wailing  their 
turn  to  use  the  solitary  wash  basin,  drawing  water 
from  the  hogshead,  or  wiping  on  the  same  towel, 
but  are  thankful  for  good  food,  and  the  luxury  of  a 
well  filled  ice-house. 

In  addition  to  the  general  directions  heretofore 
given,  it  may  be  well  in  this  connexion  to  describe 
more  particularly  the  mode  of  killing  bay-snipe.  A 
number  of  imitation  birds,  usually  called  stools,  are 
cut  from  Avood,  and  painted  to  resemble  the  various 
species ;  they  have  a  long  stick,  or  leg,  inserted  into 
the  lower  part  of  the  body,  and  a  sufficient  number 
to  constitute  a  large  flock  are  set  up  in  shallow 
water,  or  upon  some  bar  where  the  birds  are  accus- 
tomed to  feed.  They  are  made  from  thin  wood,  or 
even  froin  tin,  and  are  headed  various  ways  so  as  to 
show  in  all  directions ;  the  coarsest  and  least  perfect 
imitations  will  answer. 

The  most  remarkable  trait  of  the  shore  birds,  or 
bay-snipe,  is  their  gregarious  nature  and  sociability. 
A  flock  flying  high  in  air,  apparently  intent  ujjon 
some  settled  course,  Avil!,  the  moment  they  see  ano- 
ther flock  feeding,  turn  and  join  it.  Their  natural 
history,  or  the  object  which  they  evidently  have  in 
thus  joining  forces,  does  not  seem  to  be  understood ; 
but  the  baymen,  by  imitation-birds  and  calls,  take 
advantage  of  this  instinct.    Farther  south,  along  the 


fTHE  JERSEY  COAST.  225 

shores  of  Florida  and  Texas,  these  snipe  collect  in 
crowds ;  and  either  this  is  the  first  step  towards  that 
purpose,  or  they  are  merely  attracted  by  the  feeding 
birds  to  a  promising  place  for  a  plentiful  repast. 

Although  ordinarily  they  will  come  to  the  stools 
of  themselves,  if  they  happen  to  be  at  a  distance  fly- 
ing fast  and  high,  the  gunner  must  trust  to  the 
shrillness  of  his  whistle  and  the  perfection  of  his  call, 
to  attract  their  attention.  If  they  turn  towards  the 
decoys  and  answer  the  whistle — which  they  will  do  at 
an  immense  distance — they  are  almost  sure  to  come 
straight  .on,  and  their  confidence  once  gained,  rarely 
wavers. 

There  is  a  common  expression  among  the  bay- 
men,  that  birds  have  a  trade,  or  are  trading  up  and 
down  over  a  certain  course,  by  which  they  mean 
that  they  fly  backward  and  forward  at  regular  hours, 
and  to  and  from  regular  places.  Snipe  that  are 
thus  engaged  trading  are  not  only  in  the  finest  con- 
dition, but  come  to  the  decoys,  or  stool,  as  it  is  term- 
ed, the  most  readily.  They  are  probably  stopping 
on  the  meadows,  and  fly  to  their  feeding-grounds  in 
the  morning  and  back  at  night.  The  great  migra- 
tory bodies,  Avhich  frequently  stretch  in  broken  lines 
{\lmost  across  the  horizon,  and  which  are  pursu- 
ing their  steady  course  to  their  southern  homes, 
rarely  heed  the  whistle,  or  turn  to  the  silly  flock 
that  is  eating  while  it  should  be  ti-avelling. 

The  best  days  are  those  with  a  cloudy  sky,  and  a 
south-westerly  wind.  On  such  occasions  the  birds 
often  come  in  myriads,  delighting  the  sportsman's 


22G  THE  JEESEY  COAST» 

heart,  testing  his  nerves,  and  filling  his  bag  to  reple- 
tion. When  the  object  is  to  kill  the  greatest  num- 
ber possible,  they  are  permitted  to  alight  among  the 
stools  and  collect  together  before  the  gun  is  fired  ; 
then  the  first  discharge  is  followed  rapidly  by  the 
second,  which  tears  among  their  thinned  ranks  as 
they  rise ;  and,  if  there  be  a  second  gun,  by  the  third 
and  fourth  barrel,  till  frequently  all  are  killed.  The 
scientific  and  sportsmanlike  mode  is  to  fire  before 
they  alight,  selecting  two  or  three  together  and  fir- 
ing at  the  foremost. 

It  is  a  glorious  thing  to  see  a  flock  of  marlin  or 
willet,  or  perhaps  the  chief  of  all,  the  sickle-bills, 
swerve  from  their  course  away  up  in  the  heavens, 
and  after  a  moment's  uncertainty  reply  to  the  sports- 
man's deceitful  call  and  turn  towards  his  false  copies 
of  themselves.  As  they  ajjpioach,  the  rich  sienna 
brown  of  the  marlin  and  curlew  seems  to  color  the 
sky  and  reflect  a  ruddy  hue  upon  surrounding  ob- 
jects ;  or  the  black  and  white  of  the  barred  wings  of 
the  willet  makes  them  resemble  birds  hewn  from 
veined  marble.  The  sportsman's  heart  leaps  to  his 
throat,  as  crouching  down  M'ith  straining  eye  and 
nerve,  grasping  his  faithful  gun,  he  awaits  with 
eager  anxiety  the  proper  moment ;  then,  rising  ere 
they  are  aware  of  the  danger,  he  selects  the  spot 
where  their  crowding  bodies  and  jostling  wings  shut 
out  the  clouds  beyond,  and  pours  in  his  first  most 
deadly  barrel ;  and  quickly  bringing  to  bear  the 
other  as  best  he  may  among  the  now  frightened 
creatures  as  they  dart  about,  he  delivers  it  before  he 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  227 

has  noticed  how  many  fell  to  the  first.  Dropping 
back  to  his  position  of  conceahnent,  he  recommences 
whistling,  and  the  poor  things,  forgetting  their  fright 
and  anxious  to  know  why  their  friends  alighted  amid 
a  roar  like  thunder,  return  to  the  fatal  spot,  and 
again  give  the  fortunate  sportsman  a  chance  for  his 
reloaded  gun. 

It  was  for  such  glorious  sport  as  this,  with  fair 
promise  of  success — for  the  flight  was  on,  as  the  say- 
ing is,  when  the  snipe  are  moving — that  I  prepared 
myself  the  next  morning.  Rising  at  earliest  day- 
brenk,  a  friend,  the  gunner,  and  myself  sallied  out  to 
the  blind,  and  having  set  out  our  stools,  possessed 
our  souls  in  patience  for  what  might  follow.  A  blind 
is  another  ingenious  invention  of  the  devil — as  per- 
sonified by  a  bayman,  in  p"ursuit  of  wild  fowl — and 
is  constructed  by  planting  bushes  thickly  in  a  circle 
round  a  bench.  Seated  upon  this  bench  and  con- 
cealed from  the  suspicious  eyes  of  the  snipe  by  the 
dense  foliage  of  the  bayberry  bushes,  the  sportsman, 
in  comparative  comfort,  awaits  his  prey.  In  less 
civilized  localities  he  hides  himself  among  the  long 
sedge  gras?,  or  scoops  out  a  hole  in  the  sand  and 
lies  at  length  upon  a  watsrproof  blanket. 

The  wind  had  hauled,  in  nautical  language,  to  the 
south'ard  and  west'artl,  and  the  sun's  rays  driving 
aside  the  hazy  clouds,  illuminated  the  eastern  sky 
with  fiery  glory.  The  land  and  water,  dim  Avith  the 
heavy  night  fog,  stretched  out  in  broad,  undefined 
outline,  and  the  heavens  seemed  close  down  upon 
the  earth.    Through  the  hazy  atmosphere  and  slug- 


228  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

gish  darkness  the  rays  of  light  penetrated  slowly, 
bringing  out  feature  after  feature  of  the  landscape, 
lighting  tlie  tops  of  distant  hills,  and  revealing  the 
fleecy  coursers  of  the  sky. 

Amid  the  fading  darkness  we  soon  heard  the 
welcome  cry  of  the  bay-snipe  pursuing  his  course, 
guided  by  light  that  had  not  yet  reached  our  portion 
of  the  earth's  surface.  Instantly  we  responded  Avith 
a  vigor  and  rapidity  on  behalf  of  each,  that  must 
have  impressed  the  travelling  birds  with  the  belief 
that  we  constituted  an  immense  flock.  Again  and 
again,  long  before  our  straining  eyes  could  catch 
the  outline  of  their  forms,  came  the  answering  cry. 
Our  eagerness  increased  with  the  approaching  sound, 
until  from  out  the  dim  air  rushed  a  glorious  flock  of 
marbled  willet,  and  swooping  down  to  our  stools 
dropped  their  long  legs  to  alight — we  feeling  as 
though  little  shining  goddesses  were  descending 
upon  us. 

Without  pausing  to  discuss  their  angelic  character, 
but  mercilessly  bringing  our  double-bari-els  to  bear 
upon  the  crowded  ranks,  we  poured  in  a  destructive 
broadside  that  hurled  a  dozen  upon  the  bloodied 
sand.  Startled  at  the  fearful  report  and  its  terrible 
consequences,  they  rose,  darting  and  crossing  in 
their  alarm,  and  fled  at  full  speed ;  but  hearing  again 
the  familiar  call,  after  flying  a  few  hundred  yards, 
they  turned  and  came  once  more  straight  for  the 
decoys.  Then  my  friend  thought  highly  of  me  and 
my  breech-loading  gun,  for  ere  he  had  reloaded  I 
had  discharged  my  two  barrels  three  times,  adding 


THE  JERSEY   COAST.  229 

six  birds  to  those  already  upon  the  sand.  Eighteen 
willet  from  the  first  flock,  and  ere  the  sun  was  fairly 
lip,  gave  us  a  good  start ;  and  after  the  birds  were 
gathered,  the  fovorable  send-off  was  duly  celebrated 
in  a  few  drops  of  water  with  enough  spirit  to  take 
the  danger  out. 

And  now  myriads  of  swallows  made  their  appear- 
ance, skimming  close  along  the  water,  but  in  one 
steady  course,  as  though  they  were  going  out  for 
the  day,  and  would  not  be  back  till  night-fall.  They 
were  followed  by  scattering  snipe  that  furnished  neat 
but  easy  shooting  till  six  o'clock,  when  the  regular 
flight  began  with  a  splendid  flock  of  marlin  that 
came  rapidly  from  the  south'ard,  and  after  hovering 
over  the  stools  and  giving  us  one  chance,  returned 
for  two  more  favors  from  the  breech-loader,  and  left 
sixteen  of  their  number. 

Sportsmen  of  any  experience  know  that  nothing 
is  easier  than  to  select  from  a  flock  a  single  bird 
with  each  barrel;  but  in  bay-shooting,  a  man  who 
claims  to  excel,  must  kill  several  with  the  first  bar- 
rel, and  one,  at  least,  with  the  second.  If,  however, 
to  the  ordinary  excitement  be  added  the  natural 
emulation  arising  from  the  presence  of  several  sports- 
men in  the  same  stand,  the  foregoing  desirable 
result  is  not  always  attained.  If,  therefore,  the 
reader  shrewdly  suspects  we  should  have  killed 
more  birds  than  we  did,  let  him  place  himself  in  a 
similar  position,  and  record  his  success. 

Shore  birds  of  the  various  species,  beginning  with 
the  magnificent  sickle-bill,  and  including  the  wary 


230  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

jack-curlew,  the  noisy,  larger  yellow-Iegs  or  yelper, 
and  the  smaller  one,  down  to  the  pretty  simple- 
hearted  dowitcher,  went  to  make  up  our  morning's 
bag.  The  scorching  sun  when  it  hung  high  over 
our  heads  stopped  the  flight,  and,  aided  by  venomous 
mosquitoes,  drove  us  to  the  shelter  of  the  house,  and 
turned  our  thoughts  towards  dinner. 

The  stands  being  convenient  to  the  tavern,  we 
had  run  in  and  snatched  a  hasty  breakfast,  but  now 
collected  to  clean  guns,  load  cartridges,  and  talk 
over  results.  The  breech-loader  being  at  that  time 
something  of  a  novelty,  attracted  considerable  at- 
tention, and  was  accused  of  that  defect  popularly 
attributed  to  it,  of  not  shooting  strongly.  As  there 
were  several  expensive  guns  present — among  them 
one  of  William  Moore — in  all  of  which  the  owners 
had  great  faith,  the  question  was  soon  tested  and 
settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  most  sceptical. 

That  being  concluded,  black-breast,  or  bull-head 
plover,  was  the  occasion  of  a  terrible  contest  over 
the  entire  plover  family — some  of  the  sportsmen 
insisting  there  were  three,  others  four  or  tive  well- 
known  kinds.  They  all  agreed  as  to  there  being 
the  grass-plover,  the  bull-head,  and  the  golden-plo- 
ver ;  but  some  claimed  in  addition,  the  fiost bird 
and  the  red-backed  plover.  At  last  one  burst 
forth : 

"  There  is  Barnwell ;  he  ought  to  know :  what 
does  he  say  ?  " 

As  they  turned  inquiringly,  feeling  the  momentous 
nature  of  the  occasion,  and  that  now  was  the  chance 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  231 

to  establish  my  reputation  for  ever,  with  an  air  of 
deep  learning,  I  commenced : 

"  In  the  first  place,  you  are  mistaken  in  including 
among  plovers  the  grass  or  grey-plover,  as  it  is 
commonly  called  ;  it  is  not  a  plover  at  all ^" 

"  Oh !  that  is  nonsense,"  they  burst  forth  unani- 
mously ;  "  you  don't  know  what  you're  talking 
about." 

Kever  was  a  growing  reputation  more  suddenly 
nipped.  Instantly  reduced  to  a  state  of  meekness, 
and  only  too  glad  to  save  a  shred  of  character,  I 
mildly  suggested  that  Giraud's  work  on  the  birds 
of  Long  Island  was  in  my  valise,  and  probably  con- 
tained the  desired  information. 

"Well,"  said  one,  "  let's  hear  what  he  says." 

So  I  procured  the  book  and  read  as  follows  : 

" '  Teikga  Baetramia — "Wilson. 

barteam's    sandpiper. 
Bartram's  Sandpiper,  Tringa  Bartramia,  Wil.  Amer.  Orn. 

Totanus  Bartramius  Bonap.  Syn. 
Totanus  Bartramius  Bartram  Tatler,  Su.  &  Rich.     Bartra^ 

mian  Tatler,  Nutf.  Man. 

Bartramian  Sandpiper.     Totanus  Bartramius  Aud.   Orn. 

Biog.' 

"  After  giving  the  specific  character,  and  a  spirited 
account  of  the  well-known  manner  of  shooting  them 
from  a  wagon,  which  is  not  followed  with  any  other 
bird,  as  you  well  know,  he  proceeds  as  follows : 

"'In  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Now  Jersey, 
and  on  the  Shinnecock  and  Hempstead  Plains,  Long 


232  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

Island,  it  is  common,  where  it  is  known  by  the  name 
of  "gray,"  "  grass,"  "  field,"  or  "  upland  "  plovei*.  It 
is  very  wary,  and  difficult  to  be  approached.  On  the 
ground  it  has  an  erect  and  graceful  gait.  When 
alarmed  it  runs  rapidly  for  a  short  distance  before 
taking  wing,  uttering  a  whistling  note  as  it  rises ; 
its  flight  is  rapid,  frequently  going  out  of  sight 
before  alighting.  It  usually  keeps  on  the  open,  dry 
grounds— feeding  on  grasshopjiers,  insects,  and  seeds. 
In  the  month  of  August  it  is  generally  in  fine  condi- 
tion, and  highly  prized  as  game.  When  feeding, 
for  greater  security,  this  species  scatter  about ;  the 
instant  the  alarm  is  given,  all  move  oft*.  In  the  lat- 
ter part  of  August  it  migrates  southward,  and,  it  is 
said,  performs  the  journey  at  night.  Stragglers  fre- 
quently remain  behind  until  late  in  September.' " 

"  It  is  evident  he  knew  the  bird,"  replied  one  of 
the  objectors;  "but  as  he  calls  it  by  six  or  seven 
names — the  English  ones  being  both  sand-piper  and 
tatlei" — ^he  evidently  did  not  know  what  it  should 
be  called." 

"  That  is  the  way  with  naturalists,"  replied  another ; 
"  they  each  give  a  name  to  a  species,  but  in  this  case 
all  agree  that  it  is  not  a  plover.  What  is  the  name 
plover  derived  from  ?  " 

"  It  comes  from  the  French  word  Pluvier^  rain- 
bird,  because  it  generally  flies  during  a  rain.  But 
naturalists  found  distinctions  more  upon  the  shape 
of  bill  and  claws  than  on  the  habits  of  any  species. 
According  to  them,  plovers  proper  have  no  hind  toe, 
or,  at  most,  only  a  knob  in  its  place." 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  233 

"  Do  you  know  what  Frank  Forester  says  on  the 
subject?" 

Feeling  my  reputation  rising  a  little,  I  resumed  : 
"He  confuses  frost-bird  and  grass-plover,  quoting 
Audubon  as  his  authority;  but  he  points  out  the 
distinctive  peculiarity  of  the  plover." 

"  If  he  thinks  a  grass-plover  and  a  frost-bird  are 
alike,  he  knows  very  little  of  his  subject.  Why,  the 
frost-bird  stools  admirably,  while  the  plover  never 
stools  at  all." 

"  Not  so  fast !  Frank  Forester  was  a  splendid 
writer,  and  upon  matters  with  which  he  was  familiar 
he  was  thorough.  He  has  conferred  an  immense  favor 
upon  the  American  sporting  world ;  but  where  he 
had  not  personal  experience — and  no  one  can  know 
everything — he  had  to  rely  upon  others.  He  has 
done  as  much  to  correct  and  elevate  sportsmanship 
in  this  country,  to  introduce  a  proper  vocabulary, 
and  to  enforce  obedience  to  gentlemanly  rules,  as 
any  man  possibly  could.  As  a  body,  we  owe  it  to 
him  that  we  are  sportsmen,  and  not  pot-hunters. 
Probably  in  some  places  the  grass-plover  is  called  a 
frost-bird." 

"  I  have  more  faith  in  Giraud,  and  would  like  to 
hear  what  he  can  tell  us  about  the  golden-plover, 
unless  he  says  that  is  a  sandpiper  also." 

"  He  begins  with  a  description  of  the  black-bellied 
plover,  which  is  known  to  us  as  bull-head,  the  cha' 
radrius  helveticus,  and  tlien  describes  the  American 
golden-plover,  or  charadrius  pluvialis,  and  uses 
these  words :  '  It  is  better  known  to  our  gunners  by 


234  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

the  name  of  frost-bird,  so  called  from  being  more 
plentiful  during  the  early  frosts  of  autumn,  at  which 
season  it  is  generally  in  line  condition,  and  exceed- 
ingly well  flavored.'  Then  follow  the  ring-plover,  or 
ring-neck — charadrius  semipalmatus^  Wilson's  plo- 
ver; the  piping-plover,  or  beach-bird — charadrius 
melodius  ;  and  thekildeer  plover — charadrius  voci- 
ferus,  these  being  all  the  varieties  of  American  plo- 
ver." 

Bill  could  stand  it  no  longer;  but  rising  as  the 
book  was  closed,  burst  forth  at  once : 

"  Those  writers  are  queer  fellows ;  they  put  the 
oddest,  hardest,  longest  names  to  birds  that  ever  I 
heard.  Who  would  have  thought  of  their  calling 
a  two-penny  beach-bird,  a  radish  nieilow-deuce ! 
What  I  have  to  say  is — we  baynien  will  never  learn 
these  new-fangled  names." 

"  That  is  exactly  the  trouble,"  I  replied.  "  You 
baymen  will,  in  difierent  sections  of  the  country, 
call  tlie  same  bird  by  various  names,  till  no  one  can 
tell  what  you  are  talking  about ;  and  the  man  of 
science  has  to  step  in  and  dig  up  a  third  name, 
usually  some  Latin  affair,  Avhich  nobody  will  accept. 
Thus  it  is  that  the  older  frost-birds,  which,  strange 
to  say,  invai'iably  arrive  before  the  young,  are 
known  as  golden-plover,  and  their  progeny  as  frost- 
birds." 

"  Speaking  of  the  seasons,"  replied  Bill,  evasively, 
"  have  you  noticed  that  they  are  changing  every 
year  ?  The  springs  are  later  than  they  used  to  be. 
In  old  times  the  Enghsh  snipe  arrived  from  the 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  235 

south  early  in  March ;  now  they  hardly  come  till 
June  ;  so,  the  ducks  come  later  and  stay  later.  The 
springs  are  colder,  and  the  autumns  warmer,  than 
when  I  was  young,  and  the  bay-snipe  appear  in 
September  instead  of  August,  as  it  once  was." 

"As  to  the  English  snipe  you  are  undoubtedly 
correct,  but  this  is  due  probably  to  their  increasing 
scarcity ;  and  although  we  have  no  spring,  and  the 
summer  extends  frequently  into  Sei^tember,  this  ap- 
pears to  result  from  the  changes  in  climate  effected 
by  clearing  the  woods.  As  the  forests  are  cut  down, 
the  cold  Minds  of  spring,  and  the  burning  suns  of 
summer,  produce  a  greater  effect,  and  each  in  its 
turn  lasts  longer.  Altogether,  however,  our  seasons 
seem  to  be  moderating." 

At  this  interesting  point  in  our  discussion,  some 
one  discovered  by  the  aid  of  a  telescope  that  a  flock 
of  willet  had  settled  on  the  sand-bank  among  the 
stools.  The  announcement  was  followed  by  a  gene- 
ral seizure  of  weapons  and  rush  for  the  blinds.  My 
friend  and  myself  hastened  to  the  little  boat,  used  in 
floating  quietly  down  upon  ducks,  and  called  a 
"  sneak  box,"  and  embarking,  glided  silently  to- 
wards our  stand.  The  tide  had  left  bare  a  long 
bank  of  sand,  upon  which  was  collected  a  glorious 
flock,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  two  flocks  united, 
one  of  raarlin  and  the  other  of  wUlet. 

All  unconscious  of  approaching  danger,  the  pretty 
creatures  were  busily  engaged,  some  in  feeding, 
others  in  washing — dipping  under  and  throwing  the 
water  over  their  graceful  bodies — others  in  running 


236  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

actively  about,  or  jumping  up  and  taking  short  flights 
to  flry  their  wings.  A  happy  murmur  ran  through 
the  flock,  and  so  innocent  and  beautiful  Avere  they 
that  we  remained  watching  them  in  silent  admi- 
ration, unwilling  to  disturb  the  romance  of  the 
charming  scene.  The  rich  brown  feathers  of  the 
imposing  raarlin  formed  an  exquisite  contrast  to  the 
white  and  black  of  the  elegant  willet,  as  the  difierent 
species  mixed  unreservedly  together. 

They  did  not  exhibit  the  slightest  alarm  when  our 
boat,  after  we  had  ceased  i-owing,  was  borne  towards 
them  by  the  wind,  and  allowed  us  to  approach  till  it 
grounded  on  the  flat.  IJaving  feasted  our  eyes  on 
the  magnificent  spectacle,  we  at  last  gave  the  word 
to  fire.  At  the  report  they  rose  Avildly,  and  receiving 
the  second  discharge,  made  the  best  of  their  way  to 
safer  quarters.  Both  barrels  of  my  friend's  gun 
missed  fire,  and  we  gathered  only  seven  birds,  as  the 
flock,  although  numbering  at  least  seventy  birds, 
was  widely  scattered  and  offered  a  poor  mark. 

No  sooner  were  Ave  again  ensconced  in  our  blind, 
than  the  exhilarating  sport  of  the  morning  was 
renewed — sport  such  as  only  those  who  have  tried  it 
can  appreciate — sport  that  makes  the  heart  beat  and 
the  nei-ves  tingle — sport  that  overweighs  humanity 
and  compels  the  remorseless  slaughter  of  these  beau- 
tiful birds.  Flock  after  flock,  seen  at  great  distance, 
and  watched  in  their  approach  through  changing 
hopes  and  fears,  or  dai'ting  unexpectedly  from  over 
our  heads  and  first  noticed  Avhen  rushing  with  ex- 
tended wings  doAvn  to  our  stools,  presented  their 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  237 

crowded  ranks  to  our  delighted  gaze.  From  tho 
very  clouds,  would  come  the  shrill  whistle  of  the 
yelper,  or  from  the  horizon,  the  long  shriek  of  the 
willet,  or  nearer  at  hand  would  be  heard  the  plain- 
tive note  of  the  gentle  dowitcher ;  they  appeai*ed 
from  all  quarters,  sailing  low  along  the  water  or 
pitching  directly  down  from  out  the  sky. 

Towards  evening  the  flight  diminished,  and  when 
the  hora  announced  that  supper  was  ready,  the  dif- 
ferent parties  met  once  more  at  the  house  to  compare 
notes  and  relate  adventures.  All  had  met  with 
excellent  success,  but  our  stand  carried  off  the  palm. 

"  Bill,"  commenced  some  unhappy  person,  after 
we  had  left  the  close,  hot  dining-room,  "  why  do  you 
not  enlarge  your  house  ?" 

"Bill  is  waiting  for  another  wreck,"  was  the 
volunteer  response ;  "  the  whole  coast  is  fed,  clothed, 
and  sheltered  by  the  wrecks.  The  house  is  built 
from  the  remnants  of  unfortunate  ships,  as  you  per- 
ceive by  the  name-boards  of  the  Arion,  Pilgrim, 
Samuel  Willets,  J.  Harthorn,  and  Johanna,  that  form 
so  conspicuous  a  part  of  the  front  under  the  porch. 
When  a  vessel  is  driven  ashore,  and  the  crew  and 
passengers  who  are  not  quite  dead  are  disposed  of 
by  the  aid  of  a  stone  in  the  corner  of  a  handkerchief, 
which  makes  an  unsuspicious  bruise,  the  prize  is 
fought  for  by  the  natives,  and  not  only  the  cargo, 
but  the  very  ribs  and  planks  of  the  vessel  appro- 
priated." 

"  Now  that's  not  fair,"  repUed  Bill,  aroused ;  "  no 
man,  except  my  father-in-law,  has  done  more  to  save 


238  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

drowning  men  than  I  have.  I  tell  you  it's  an  awful 
sight  to  see  the  poor  creatures  clinging  to  the  rig- 
ging and  bowsprit,  to  see  them  washed  off  before 
your  eyes,  sometimes  close  to  you,  without  your 
being  able  to  help  them,  and  their  dead  bodies 
thrown  up  by  the  waves  on  the  sand.  You  don't 
feel  like  stealing  or  murder  at  such  times;  and 
besides,  I  never  knew  a  dead  man  come  ashore  that 
had  anything  in  his  pockets." 

A  peal  of  laughter  greeted  this  naive  remai'k,  toge- 
ther with  the  ready  response  :  "  Bill,  you  were  too 
late ;  some  Barnegat  pirate  had  been  before  you." 

"No,  the  Barnegat  pirates  are  kinder  than  the 
Government.  We  do  our  best  to  save  the  poor 
fellows,  but  the  Government  puts  men  in  charge 
of  their  station-houses  that  know  nothing  about 
their  business.  My  father-in-law  was  the  first  man 
that  threw  a  line  with  the  cannon  over  a  ship,  and 
he  was  presented  with  a  medal  by  the  Humane 
Society.  He  never  was  paid  a  dollar  for  taking 
charge  of  the  station,  the  life-boat,  and  the  cannon. 
Since  he  died  I  kept  it  for  five  years,  and  was  paid 
two  years ;  now  men  are  selected  for  their  politics. 
One  lives  back  on  the  main  land  two  miles  from  his 
station-house,  another  never  fired  a  gun,  and  a  third 
never  rowed  a  boat.  The  last  got  a  crew  of  us  toge- 
ther once  to  go  out  to  a  ship  in  the  life-boat  and 
undertook  to  steer,  but  we  told  him  not  one  of  us 
would  go  unless  he  stayed  on  shore.  It  is  a  dan- 
gerous thing  to  have  a  green  hand  at  the  helm,  or 
even  at  an  oar,  in  times  like  that." 


THE  JERSEY   COAST.  239 

"  IIow  far  can  you  reach  a  ship  with  the  cannon?" 
we  inquired. 

"  The  line,  you  know,  is  fastened  to  the  ball  with  a 
short  wire,  so  that  it  won't  burn  off,  and  is  coiled  up 
beside  the  gun,  and  of  course  it  keeps  the  ball  back, 
and  then  people  forget  we  always  have  to  fire  against 
the  wind,  as  vessels  are  never  wrecked  with  the  wind 
off  shore ;  so  although  the  guns  are  expected  to 
carry  five  hundred  yards,  they  will  not  carry  more 
than  one  hundred  and  eighty.  That  is  enough, 
though,  if  they  only  have  the  right  sort  of  men  to 
manage  them ;  but  how  is  a  landsman  to  tell  whether 
he  must  use  the  cannon  or  is  safe  in  going  off  in  the 
boat  ?  In  one  case,  while  the  station-master  was  try- 
ing to  drag  his  cannon  down  to  a  ship,  a  party  of  us 
took  a  common  boat  and  landed  her  crew  and  pas- 
sengers before  he  arrived.  I  don't  care  about 
the  pay,  for  I  kept  it  three  years  without ;  but  I 
hate  to  see  lives  sacrificed  for  politics.  Would 
you  like  to  see  the  medal  they  gave  to  the  old 
man  ?" 

We  responded  in  the  affirmative ;  and  he  soon  pro- 
duced a  silver  medal,  with  an  inscription  on  one  side 
recording  the  circumstances,  and  on  the  other  an 
embossed  picture  of  a  ship  in  distress,  a  cannon  from 
which  the  ball  and  rope  attached  had  been  dis- 
charged and  were  visible  in  mid  air,  several  men 
standing  around  the  gun,  and  a  life-boat  climbing 
the  seas. 

"  But,  Bill,  tell  us  about  the  Barnegat  pirates 
leading  a  lame  horse  with  a  lantern  tied  to  his  neck 


240  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

over  the  sand  hills  in  imitation  of  a  ship's  light,  and 
thus  inveigling  vessels  ashore." 

"  I  can  only  say  I  have  never  lieard  of  it.  As 
quick  as  a  vessel  comes  ashore,  the  insurance  agent 
is  telegraphed  for,  and  he  takes  charge  of  everything. 
Why,  we  even  buy  the  wrecks  and  pay  well  for 
them,  too.  Now  and  then  something  is  washed  up 
like  that  coal  in  front  of  the  house,  bnt  it  is  not 
often." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  the  stations  ?" 

"  Tliey  are  houses  built  by  the  Government  and 
placed  at  regular  distances  along  the  beach.  The 
gnn,  and  rope,  and  life-boat,  and  life-car,  and  all 
other  things  that  are  needed  in  case  of  shipwreck, 
are  kept  in  them.  Then  there  is  a  stove  and  coal 
ready  to  make  a  fire,  for  if  a  poor  wretch  got  ashore 
in  mid-winter  he  would  soon  freeze  if  he  couldn't  get 
to  a  fire.  And  if  the  man  who  has  charge  of  the 
station  lives  two  miles  off  across  a  bay  that  he  can't 
cross  in  a  bad  storm,  what  can  the  poor  half-drowned 
fellows  do,  if  they  are  too  much  benumbed  to  break 
open  the  door  ?  I'd  stave  it  in  for  them  pretty  quick 
if  I  vvas  there,  law  or  no  law." 

"  It  is  a  shame  that  a  matter  like  that  should  not 
be  free  from  politics." 

"  So  it  was  once,"  Bill  went  on  fluently ;  for  on 
this  subject  he  felt  that  his  family  had  a  right  to  be 
eloquent ;  "  at  one  time  some  department  had  it  in 
charge  that  never  would  either  appoint  or  remove  a 
man  on  political  account ;  but  that  is  all  changed 
now,  and  the  men  are  expected  to  go  out  with  every 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  241 

administration,  and  shipwrecked  passengers  die 
while  political  favorites  draw  the  two  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year  pay  for  the  station-master." 

"Now,  Bill,  stop  your  talk  about  the  public 
wrongs,  and  tell  us  something  more  interesting. 
Have  you  ever  heard  one  of  Bill's  ghost  stories  ?" 
This  inquiry  was  addressed  to  the  public. 

Bill's  face  lengthened  ;  he  sat  silently  nursing  his 
leg  and  smoking  his  brierwood  pipe,  while  a  shadow 
seemed  to  settle  on  his  countenance.  "  Come,  Bill," 
we  responded,  "  let's  have  the  story." 

Bill  answered  not,  and  the  shadow  deepened,  and 
the  smoke  was  puffed  in  heavier  masses  from  his 
lips. 

"  Bill  is  afraid ;  he  don't  like  ghosts,  and  don't 
dare  to  talk  of  them." 

"  I  am  not  easily  skeered,"  he  answered  at  last ; 
"but  if  you  had  seen  what  I  have  on  this  shore,  you 
would  not  talk  so  easy  about  it  'Lige,  do  you  re- 
member the  time  we  saw  that  ship  ?  There  had  been 
a  heavy  storm,  and  when  wo  got  up  next  day  early, 
there  lay  a  vessel  on  the  beach ;  she  must  have  been 
most  everlastingly  a  harpin'  it." 

"  What  is  that  ?"  was  asked  wonderingly,  on  the 
utterance  of  this  peculiar  expression. 

"  Why,  she  had  come  clear  in  over  the  bar,  and 
must  have  been  going  some  to  do  that ;  for  there 
she  lay,  bow  on,  with  her  bowsprit  sticking  way  up 
ashore,  just  below  the  station  yonder.  Her  masts 
were  standing,  and  we  clapped  on  our  clothes  and 
started  for  the  beach.    The  wind  was  blowin'  hard, 


242  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

and  the  sand  and  drizzle  driving  in  our  faces  as  we 
walked  over,  and  we  kept  our  heads  down  most  of 
the  time.  When  we  got  to  the  sand-hills  we  looked 
up,  and  the  ship  was  gone.  I  thought  that  likely 
enough,  for  she  must  have  broken  up  and  gone  to 
pieces  soon  in  that  surf,  so  we  hurried  along  as  fast 
as  we  could ;  and  sure  enough,  when  we  rounded 
the  point,  the  little  cove  in  wliich  she  lay  was  full  of 
truck.  'Lige  was  there,  and  he  saw  it  as  plain  as  I 
did.  The  water  was  full  of  drift-boxes,  barrels, 
planks,  and  all  sorts  of  things,  pitching  and  rolling 
about ;  and  some  of  them  had  been  carried  up  onto 
the  sand  and  were  strewed  about  in  all  directions. 

"  It  was  early,  and  the  day  was  misty,  but  we 
could  see  plain  enough,  and  we  saw  all  that  stuff 
knocking  about  as  plain  as  I  see  you  now.  There 
was  a  big  timber  in  my  way — a  stick — well,  thirty 
feet  long  and  two  feet  or  two  and  a  half  square,  so 
that  I  had  to  raise  my  foot  high  to  clear  it ;  I  step- 
ped one  leg  over,  and  drew  the  other  along  to  feel 
it,  but  it  didn't  touch  anything ;  then  I  stopped  and 
looked  down — there  was  no  timber  there ;  I  looked 
back  towards  the  sea — the  drift  had  disappeared,  the 
barrels  and  boxes  and  truck  of  one  sort  or  another 
was  gone.  There  was  nothing  on  shore  nor  in  the 
water.  Now  you  may  laugh,  but  'Lige  knows 
whether  what  I've  told  you  is  true." 

"  Bill,  that  is  a  pretty  good  story,  but  it  is  not  the 
one  I  meant,"  persisted  the  individual  who  had  com- 
menced the  attack. 

"  Well,  another  time,  Zeph  and  I  were  at  work 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  243 

getting  the  copper  bolts  out  of  an  old  wreck,  when 
we  happened  to  look  up  and  saw  two  carriages 
coming  along,  up  the  beach.  I  spoke  to  Zeph  about 
it,  but  as  they  came  along  slowly,  we  went  on  with 
our  work,  and  when  we  looked  up  again  there  was 
only  one.  That  came  on  closer  and  closer  till  I 
could  tell  the  horses  ;  they  were  two  bays  of  squire 
Jones'  down  at  the  inlet ;  they  drove  right  on  to- 
wards us  till  they  were  so  near  that  T  did  not  like 
to  stare  the  people  in  the  face,  and  looked  down 
again  to  my  work.  There  were  two  men,  and  I  saw 
them  so  plain  that  I  should  know  'era  anywhere. 
Well,  I  raised  my  head  a  second  after,  and  they 
were  gone  ;  and  there  never  had  been  any  wagon, 
for  Zeph  and  I  hunted  all  over  the  beach  to  find  the 
tracks  in  the  sand." 

"  I  guess  that  was  another  misty  day,  and  you 
hadn't  had  your  eye-opener,"  was  the  appreciative 
response. 

"  No,  it  was  three  o'clock  in  the  day,  and  bright 
sunshine  ;  but  at  that  time,  as  near  as  can  be.  Tommy 
Smith  was  drowned  down  at  the  inlet,  and  the  veiy 
next  day  at  the  very  same  hour,  the  'Squire's  wagon 
did  come  up  the  beach,  with  the  same  two 
men  driving,  and  the  body  in  a  box  in  the  back 
part." 

"  Now,  Bill,"  continued  the  persistent  individual, 
"  this  is  all  very  well,  but  it  is  not  the  story.  Come, 
out  with  it ;  you  know  what  I  mean." 

Bill  fell  silent,  again  looking  off  into  the  distance 
as  though  he  saw  something  that  others  could  not 


244  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

see ;  he  pulled  away  nervously  on  his  pipe,  which 
had  gone  out,  but  answered  not. 

"  Bill's  afraid  ;"  was  the  tantalizing  suggestion. 

"There's  Sam,"  said  Bill  suddenly ;  "he's  not  afeard 
of  man  or  devil ;  ask  him  what  he  saw." 

The  person  referred  to  was  a  large,  broad-shoul- 
dered, pleasant-faced  man,  with  a  clear  blue  eye  that 
looked  as  though  it  would  not  quail  easily,  and  he 
responded  at  once : 

"  I  never  saw  anything ;  but  one  night  when  I  was 
coming  by  the  cove  where  the  Johanna  was  cast 
away,  and  where  three  hundred  bodies  were  picked 
up  and  buried,  I  heard  a  loud  scream.  It  sounded 
like  a  woman's  voice,  and  Avas  repeated  three  or 
four  times ;  but  I  couldn't  find  anything,  although  I 
spent  an  hour  hunting  among  the  sand-hills,  and  it 
was  bright  moonlight.  It  may  have  been  some  sort 
of  animal,  but  I  don't  know  exactly  what." 

"  Bill's  adventure  happened  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood, so  let's  have  it,"  continued  the  persistent 
man. 

"  As  Sam  says,"  commenced  Bill,  at  last,  "  the 
Johanna  went  ashore  one  awful  north-easter  in  winter 
about  six  miles  above  here,  near  Old  Jackey's  tavern  ; 
she  broke  up  before  we  could  do  anything  for  her, 
and  three  hundred  men,  women,  and  children — for 
she  was  an  emigrant  ship — were  washed  ashore  dui-- 
ing  the  following  week ;  most  of  them  had  been 
drifted  by  the  set  of  the  tide  into  the  cove,  and  they 
were  buried  there ;  so  you  see  it  ain't  a  nice  place  of 
a  dark  night. 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  245 

"  I  was  driving  down  the  beach  about  a  yeai*  after 
she  was  lost,  with  my  old  jagger  wagon,  and  a  heavy 
load  on  of  grocei-ies  and  stores  of  one  kind  or  other. 
It  was  about  one  o'clock  at  night,  mighty  cold,  but 
bright  moonlight ;  and  I  was  coming  along  by  the 
corner  of  the  fence,  you  know,  just  above  Jackey's, 
when  the  mare  stopped  short.  Now,  she  was  just 
the  best  beast  to  drive  you  ever  saw.  I  could  drive 
her  into  the  bay  or  right  over  into  the  ocean,  and 
she  was  never  skeered  at  anything.  Bat  this  time, 
she  come  right  back  in  the  shafts  and  began  to  trem- 
ble all  over ;  I  gave  her  a  touch  of  the  whip,  and  she 
was  just  as  full  of  spirit  as  a  horse  need  be,  but  she 
only  reared  up  and  snorted  and  trembled  worse  than 
ever.  So  I  knew  something  must  be  wrong,  and 
looked  ahead  pretty  sharp ;  and  there,  sure  enough, 
right  across  the  road,  lay  a  man.  Jackey  was  a  little 
too  fond  of  rum  at  that  time,  and  I  made  up  my 
mind  he  had  got  drunk  and  tumbled  down  on  his 
way  home ;  it  was  cold,  and  I  didn't  want  to  get 
out  of  the  wagon  where  I  was  nicely  tucked  in,  and 
thought  I  would  drive  round  out  of  the  road  and 
wake  him  up  with  my  whip  as  I  passed.  I  tried  to 
pull  the  mare  off  to  one  side  to  go  by,  but  she  only 
reared  and  snorted  and  trembled,  so  that  I  was 
afraid  she  would  fall.  She  had  a  tender  mouth,  but 
although  I  pulled  my  best  I  could  not  budge  her ; 
at  last,  getting  mad,  I  laid  the  gad  over  her  just  as 
hard  as  I  could  draw  it.  Instead  of  obeying  the 
rein,  however,  she  plvmged  straight  on,  made  a  tre- 
mendous leap  over  the  body,  and  dragged  the  wagon 


246  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

after  her.  I  pulled  her  in  all  I  knew  how,  and  no 
mistake  ;  but  it  was  no  use,  and  I  felt  the  front  wheels 
strike,  lift,  and  go  over  hira,  and  then  the  hind 
wheels,  but  I  couldn't  stop  her.  That  was  a  heavy 
load,  and  enough  to  crush  any  one,  and  as  soon  as  I 
could  fetch  the  mare  down — for  she  had  started  to 
run — I  jumped  out  quick  enough  then,  you  may  bet 
your  life.  I  tied  her  up  to  the  fence,  although  she 
was  still  so  uneasy  I  daresen't  hardly  leave  her,  and 
hurried  back  to  see  if  I  could  do  anything  for  Jackey. 
Would  you  believe  it,  there  was  nothing  there  !  I 
tell  you  I  felt  the  wagon  go  over  him,  and  what's 
more,  I  looked  down  as  I  passed  and  saw  his  clothes 
and  his  hair  straggling  out  over  the  snow,  for  he  had 
no  hat  on  ;  though  I  noticed  at  the  time  that  I  didn't 
see  any  flesh,  but  supposed  his  face  was  turned  from 
me.  There  was  no  rise  in  the  ground  and  not  a 
cloud  in  the  sky  ;  the  moon  was  neai'ly  full,  and  there 
wasn't  any  man,  and  never  had  been  any  man  there ; 
but  whatever  there  was,  the  mare  saw  it  as  plain  as 
I  did." 

"  Now  let's  turn  in,"  said  a  sleepy  individual,  who 
had  first  been  nodding  over  Bill's  statement  of  pub- 
lic wrongs,  and  had  taken  several  short  naps  in  the 
course  of  his  ghost  story  ;  "  and  as  there  was  some- 
thing said  yesterday  about  a  smoke  driving  away 
mosquitoes,  for  heaven's  sake  let's  make  a  big  one ; 
the  infernal  pests  kept  me  awake  all  last  night." 

This  was  excellent  advice,  and  not  only  was  an 
entire  newspaper  consumed  in  our  common  sleeping 
apartment,  but  a  quantity  of  powder  was  squibbed 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  247 

off^  till  the  place  smelt  like  the  antechamber  of  Tar- 
tarus. The  mosquitoes  were  expelled  or  silenced  at 
the  cost  of  a  slight  suffocation  to  ourselves,  but  we 
gained  several  hours  sleep  till  the  smoke  escaped  and 
allowed  the  villains  to  return  to  their  prey. 

One  sporting  day  resembles  another  in  its  essen- 
tial features,  although  not  often  so  entirely  as  with 
the  Englishman,  who,  having  devoted  his  life  to 
woodcock  shooting,  and  being  called  upon  to  relate 
his  experiences,  replied  that  he  had  shot  woodcock 
for  forty  years,  but  never  noticed  anything  worth  re- 
cording. Our  next  day,  however,  was  enlivened  by 
sport  of  an  unexpected  kind.  We  had  heard  there 
was  some  dispute  about  the  ownership  of  the  stands  ; 
in  fact,  that  the  one  occupied  by  my  friend  and  my- 
self belonged  to  the  Ortleys,  a  family  represented 
as  decidedly  uninviting;  while  both  Bill  and  the 
Ortleys  claimed  that,  where  another  party  was 
located. 

In  the  disputed  stand  were  Bill,  a  New  York  gen- 
tleman, who,  as  events  proved,  seemed  to  be  some- 
thing of  an  athlete,  and  a  sedate,  unimpassionable  Jer- 
sey lawyer  of  considerable  eminence.  Elijah  was 
with  us,  when  two  villanous,  red-haired,  freckle- 
skinned  objects  presented  themselves,  and,  after 
some  preliminary  remarks  and  a  refusal  on  their 
part  of  a  friendly  glass,  which  is  a  desperate  sign  in 
a  Jerseyman,  mildly  suggested  that  they  would  like 
a  little  remuneration  for  the  use  of  the  stand.  As 
their  suggestion  was  moderate,  reasonable,  and  just, 
and  they  undoubtedly  owned  the  land,  we  complied, 


248  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

and  beheld  them  proceed,  to  Elijah's  great  delight, 
for  the  same  purpose  towards  the  other  stand.  Elijah 
prophetically  announced  they  would  probably  get 
more  than  they  demanded. 

The  other  stand  was  distant  about  a  hundred 
yards,  in  full  view,  and  we  perceived  at  once  that  a 
commotion  was  caused  by  the  unexpected  arrival. 
The  athletic  man  was  shortly  seen  outside  the  blind, 
flinging  his  arms  wildly  about  in  front  of  the  two 
Ortley  brothers,  and,  as  we  were  afterwards  inform- 
ed, offering  to  fight  either  or  both  of  thom.  Matters 
then  seemed  to  progress  more  favorably,  till  sud- 
denly Bill  and  the  younger  Ortley  emerged,  locked 
in  an  unfriendly  embrace,  and  commenced  dragging 
each  other  round  the  sand-bank,  while  the  demon- 
strative sportsman  was  seen  dancing  actively  in  front 
of  the  other  Ortley,  and  preventing  his  interference. 

Of  course  we  dropped  our  guns  and  hastened 
across  the  shallow,  intervening  water,  having  just 
time  to  perceive  that  Bill  had  thrown  his  adversary 
and  remained  on  top.  The  first  words  we  heard  were: 
"Take  him  off!  Oh,  my  God!  take  him  off. 
Enough,  enough,  take  him  off,"  from  the  one  on  the 
ground,  whose  eye — the  only  vulnerable  part  to  un- 
insti'ucted  anger — Bill  was  busily  endeavoring  to 
gouge  out,  while  the  other  shouted  frantically: 
"He  is  killing  my  brother  ;  let  me  get  to  him  ;  he  is 
gouging  his  eye  out.  He  will  kill  him,  he  will  kill 
him." 

"  Never  mind,"  answered  the  .athletic  man,  swing- 
ing his  arms  ominously,  and  dexterously  interposing 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  249 

between  the  victim  and  his  brother,  whenever  the 
latter  attempted  to  dodge  past  him.  "  Let  him  be 
killed,  it  would  serve  him  right ;  he  came  over  here 
for  a  fight,  and  he  shall  have  enough  of  it  if  both  of 
his  eyes  are  gouged  out." 

Elijah  arrived  in  time  to  prevent  the  latter  cata- 
strophe, and  being  c>f  a  peaceable  and  humane  dispo-' 
sition,  pulled  off  liis  brother  before  anything  more 
serious  than  a  little  scratching  had  occurred.  In 
fact,  there  is  no  position  in  which  ignorance  renders 
a  person  more  pitiably  inefficient,  than  in  fighting ; 
and,  while  a  skilful  man  could  have  killed  his  oppo- 
nent during  the  time  Bill  had  enjoyed,  the  latter  had 
really  effected  nothing  worth  mentioning.  The  ugly 
wretch  was  awfully  frightened,  however;  his  face 
being  ghostly  pale,  streaked  with  bloody  red,  and  he 
commenced  whining  at  once : 

"  I  am  nothing  but  a  boy,  only  twenty-two  last 
spring,  and  he's  a  man  grown." 

"Tou  know  boys  have  ta  be  whipped  to  keep 
them  in  order,"  was  the  consolatory  response ;  for 
Ave  naturally  took  part  with  our  landlord. 

"  Gentlemen,  just  look  at  me." 

"  Don't  come  so  close,  you're  covered  with  blood ; 
keep  back,  keep  back." 

"  But  look  at  me ;  he's  bigger  than  I  am,  and  lam 
only  a  boy." 

"  Then  you  shouldn't  strike  a  man." 

"  Oh !  gentlemen,  I  didn't  strike  him  first,  indeed 
I  didn't ;  he  struck  me  when  I  wasn't  thinking ;  in. 
deed  he  did." 


250 


THE  JEESEY  COAST. 


"Yes,"  broke  in  his  brother,  who  was  just  re- 
covering from  the  spell  first  put  upon  him  by  our 
athlete's  continual  offers  to  accommodate  him  in 
any  way  he  wished.  "  Yes,  it  will  be  a  dear  blow 
for  you ;  I  saw  you  strike  him." 

"  No,"  said  the  lawyei*,  advancing  for  the  first  time 
from  behind  the  blind  where  he  had  been  an  unmoved 
and  impartial  umpire  of  the  fray,  "  you  should  not 
say  that ;  your  brother  certainly  struck  first ;  I  saw 
him  distinctly."  His  manner  was  solemn,  and  con- 
vincing, and  conclusive,  taken  in  connexion  with 
his  perfect  equanimity  during  the  affair;  but,  of 
course,  he  was  met  by  contradiction  and  protesta- 
tion from  the  two  brothers.  This  dispute  would 
have  been  endless,  but  at  that  moment  a  fine  flock 
of  willets  was  descried  advancing  towards  the 
stools. 

"  Down,  down,"  every  one  shouted,  and,  true  to 
the  bayman's  instinct,  friend  and  foe  crowded  down 
on  the  sand  together,  waiting  breathlessly  the  arri- 
val of  the  birds.  The  latter  came  up  handsomely, 
were  received  with  four  barrels,  and  left  several  of 
their  number  as  keepsakes  or  peace-offerings  ;  for, 
of  course,  anger  was  dissipated,  and  the  defeated 
enemy  retired  amid  a  few  merry  suggestions,  and 
the  excellent  advice  that  they  had  better  not  repeat 
their  joke. 

Such  squabbles — for  it  can  be  called  nothing 
graver — lower  one's  opinion  of  human  kind,  and  it 
makes  one  ashamed  to  think  that  two  men  may  hug 
and  pull  one  another  about,  and  roll  on  the  sand  for 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  251 

fifteen  minutes,  with  the  best  will  in  the  Avoiid  to 
do  each  other  all  the  damage  possible,  and  only  in- 
flict, in  the  feebleness  of  imeducated  humanity,  a  few 
miserable  scratches.  Any  of  the  lower  animals 
would,  in  that  time,  have  left  serious  marks  of  its 
anger;  but  the  pitiful  results  of  these  human  efforts 
were,  that  Bill's  beard  was  pulled  and  Ortley's  face 
scratched.  It  makes  one  blush  to  think  he  is  a 
man. 

As  our  party  returned  to  the  blind  we  had  left, 
Elijah  spoke,  softly  ruminating  aloud : 

"  "Well,  it  only  costs  thirty-five  dollars  anyhow, 
and  it  was  worth  that." 

Our  humane,  peaceable  friend,  it  seems,  had  been 
cast  in  a  similar  case,  and  had  to  pay  six  cents 
damages  and  thirty-five  dollars  costs  of  court. 
There  is  probably  nothing  that  has  so  soothing  and 
pacifying  an  influence  on  the  New  Jersey  mind  as 
costs  of  court.  The  words  alone  act  like  a  chann  upon 
a  Jerseyman  in  the  acme  of  frenzy,  and  are  as  effec- 
tive as  a  policeman  in  uniform.  If  a  man  commits 
assault  and  battery,  he  is  fined  six  cents  damages 
and  costs  of  court ;  if  he  is  guilty  of  trespass  it  is 
the  same ;  if  he  kisses  his  neighbor's  wife  against 
her  will,  if  he  slanders  a  friend's  character,  it  is 
always  six  cents  damages  and  costs  of  court ;  and 
Jerseymen  will  probably  expect  in  the  next  world 
to  get  off  with  six  cents  damages  and  costs  of  court. 

The  shooting  was  excellent  during  the  whoh;  day, 
and  evening  found  us  collected  in  the  bar-room,  well 
satisfied  and  particularly  jocose  over  the  amusing 


25^  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

pugilistic  encounter  we  had  witnessed.  It  lent  point 
to  many  a  good  hit  at  Bill's  expense ;  even  his  wife, 
who  is  a  fine,  resolute-looking  woman,  saying  that 
if  she  had  seen  it  sooner,  she  would  have  taken  a 
broomstick  and  flogged  them  both.  The  general 
impression  was,  she  could  have   made   her  words 

The  pleasure  of  indulging  in  fun  at  the  expense  of 
a  fellow-creature  is  very  great,  and  Bill's  adventure 
was  certainly  fair  game.  When  our  wit  was  ex- 
hausted, and  the  craving  for  tobacco  mollified  by  the 
steady  use  of  our  pipes,  our  thoughts  and  voices 
turned  to  our  never-wearying  passion,  and  one  of 
the  party  commenced : 

"I  have  shot  a  number  of  the  birds  you  call 
kriekers ;  they  are  a  fat  bird,  but  do  not  seem  to 
stool.  I  have  never  before  shot  them,  except  occa- 
sionally on  the  meadows." 

"  They  don't  stool,"  said  Bill,  "  and  only  utter  a 
krieking  kind  of  cry ;  but  in  October  they  come 
here  very  thick,  and  we  walk  them  up  over  the 
meadows.     Why,  you  can  shoot  a  hundred  a  day." 

"A  most  excellent  bird  they  are,  too — fat  and 
delicate.  They  are  the  latest  of  the  bay-snipe  in  re- 
turning from  the  summer  breeding-places;  and  as 
they  rise  and  fly  from  you,  they  afford  extremely 
pretty  shooting.  They  are  sometimes  called  short- 
neck,  and  are,  in  a  gastronomic  point  of  view,  the 
best  bay-snipe  that  is  put  upon  the  table." 

"  We  call  the  bay-birds  usually  snipe,"  said  the 
first  speaker ;  "  but  I  have  been  told  they  are  not 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  253 

snipe  at  all.  Refer  to  Giraud  again  and  give  us  the 
truth." 

This  fell,  of  course,  to  my  share,  and  I  com- 
menced as  follows : 

"  I  read  you  yesterday  about  the  plovers,  and  im- 
mediately after  them  we  find  an  account  of  the  turn- 
stone,  strepsilaa  interpres,  which  is  nothing  else  than 
our  beautiful  brant-bird  or  horse-foot  snipe,  as  it  is 
called  farther  south,  because  it  feeds  on  the  spawn 
of  the  horse-foot.  This  pretty  but  unfortunate  bird 
belongs  to  no  genus  whatever,  and  has  been  to  the 
ornithologists  a  source  of  great  tribulation.  They 
have  sometimes  considered  it  a  sandpiper  and 
sometimes  not,  so  you  may  probably  call  it  what 
you  please  ;  and  as  brant-bird  is  a  rhythmical  name, 
it  will  answer  as  well  as  strepsilas  interpres  /  if  you 
have  not  a  fluent  tongue,  perhaps  somewhat  better. 
Of  the  snipes,  or  scolopacidce,  the  only  true  repre- 
sentative is  the  dowitcher,  scolopax  novehora- 
censis. 

"Hold  on,"  shouted  Bill;  "say  that  last  word 
over  again." 

"  Nbveboracensis.''^ 

"That  is  only  the  half  of  it;  let's  have  the 
whole." 

"  Scolopax  noveboracensis.^^ 

"  Scoly  packs  never  borrow  a  census ;  that  is  a 
good  sized  name  for  a  little  dowitch,  and  beats  the 
radish  altogether.  Go  ahead,  we'll  learn  something 
before  we  get  through." 

"  Why,  that  is  only  Latin  for  New  York  snipe." 


254  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

*'  Oh,  pshaw !  "  responded  Bill,  in  intense  dis 
gust,  "I  thought  it  meant  a  whole  bookful  of 
things." 

"  The  sandpipers,  however,  come  under  the  family 
of  snipes,  and  are  called  tringce.  Among  these  are 
enumerated  the  robin-snipe  and  the  grass-plover,  as 
I  told  you  before,  the  black-breast,  the  krieker,  or 
short-neck,  and  several  scarcer  varieties.  The  yelp- 
ers  and  yellow-legs,  the  tiny  teeter,  and  the  Avillet 
are  tattlers,  genus  totanus,  while  the  marlin  is  the 
godvvit  limosa.  The  sickle-bills,  jacks,  andfutes  are 
curlews,  genus  numenius.^^ 

"  And  now  that  you  have  got  through,"  grumbled 
Bill  again,  "  can  you  whistle  a  snipe  any  better  or 
shoot  him  any  easier  ?  Do  you  know  why  he  stools 
well  in  a  south-westerly  wind,  why  one  stools  better 
than  another,  or  why  any  of  them  stool  at  all  ?  Do 
you  know  why  he  flies  after  a  storm,  or  Avhy  some 
go  in  flocks  and  others  don't,  or  why  there  is  usually 
a  flight  on  the  fifteenth  and  twenty-fifth  of  August? 
When  books  tell  us  these  things,  I  shall  think  more 
of  the  writers." 

"These  matters  are  not  easy  to  find  out;  even 
you  gunners,  who  have  been  on  the  bay  all  your 
lives,  where  your  fathers  lived  before  you,  do  not 
know.  But  now  tell  us  what  other  sport  you  have 
here." 

"  On  the  mainland  there  are  a  good  many  Eng- 
lish snipe  in  spring,  while  in  the  fall  we  catch  blue- 
fish  and  shoot  ducks.  The  black  ducks  and  teal 
will  soon  be  along;  but  ever  since  the  inlet  was 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  255 

closed,  the  canvas-backs  and  red-heads  have  been 
scarce." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  the  inlet's  closing  ?" 

"  There  used  to  be  several  inlets  across  the  beach 
— one  about  ten  miles  below — and  then  we  had 
splendid  oysters  and  ducks  plenty.  There  came  a 
tremendous  storm  one  winter  that  washed  up  the 
sand  and  closed  the  inlet,  and  so  it  has  remained 
ever  since." 

"  Can't  they  be  dredged  out  ?" 

"The  people  would  pay  a  fortune  to  any  man 
who  did  that,  if  he  could  keep  it  open.  In  the  fall, 
we  go  after  ducks  twenty  miles  when  we  want  any 
great  shooting;  but  we  kill  a  good  many  round 
here." 

"  How  do  you  catch  the  blue-fish  that  you  spoke 
of?" 

"  They  chase  the  bony-fish  along  the  shore,  and 
when  they  come  close  in,  you  can  stand  on  the 
beach,  and  throw  the  squid  right  among  them.  I 
took  sixteen  hundred  pounds  in  half  a  day." 

"  Phew  !"  was  the  imiversal  chorus. 

"  'Lige  was  there,  and  he  knows  whether  that  is 
true.  They  averaged  fifteen  pounds  apiece.  On 
those  occasions,  the  only  question  is  whether  you 
know  how  to  land  them,  and  can  do  it  quick 
enough." 

"  Your  hands  must  have  been  cut  to  pieces." 

"Not  at  all;  you'll  never  cut  your  hands  if  you 
don't  let  the  line  slip." 

"  Did  you  run  up  ashore  with  them  ?  " 


256  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

"  No,  I  had  no  time  for  that ;  I  landed  them,  hand 
over  hand." 

"  Well,  after  that  story  it's  time  we  went  to  bed ; 
so  good-night." 

During  that  night  the  mosquitoes,  bad  as  they 
had  been,  were  more  terrible  than  at  any  time  pre- 
vious. Favored  by  the  late  frequent  rains,  they 
had  become  more  numerous  than  had  ever  been 
known  on  the  beach ;  and  being  consequently  com* 
pelled  to  subdivide  to  an  unusual  degree  the  ordi- 
narily small  supply  of  food,  they  were  savagely 
hungry.  Sleep  was  out  of  the  question,  and  after 
trying  all  sorts  of  devices  from  gunpowder  to  mos- 
quito-nets, the  party  wandered  out  of  doors,  and, 
scattering  in  search  of  a  place  of  retreat,  afforded  an 
excellent  representation  of  unhappy  ghosts  on  the 
banks  of  the  Styx.  The  shore,  near  the  surf,  and  the 
bathing-houses  had  heretofore  been  tolerably  secure 
resorts,  but,  on  this  unprecedented  night,  a  special 
meeting  of  mosquitoes  seemed  to  have  been  called  in 
that  neighborhood. 

Those  that  tried  the  ground,  and  covered  them- 
selves carefully  from  head  to  foot,  found  that  the 
enterprising  long-legs  disregarded  the  customary 
habits  of  their  race,  and  consented  to  crawl  down 
their  sleeves,  up  their  pants,  or  through  the  folds  of 
the  blanket.  The  sand-fleas  also  were  numerous 
and  lively,  bounding  about  in  an  unpleasantly  active 
way ;  and  where  there  were  neither  mosquitoes  nor 
sand-fleas,  the  nervous  sufferer  imagined  every  grain 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  257 

of  stray  sand  that  sifted  in  through  his  clothes  to  I  e 
some  malignant,  blood-sucking,  insect. 

One  great  advantage,  however,  followed  from  this 
discomfort — that  we  were  up  betimes  next  morning 
and  ready  for  sport  that  soon  proved  equal  to  any 
we  had  experienced.  In  fact,  so  steady  and  well 
sustained  a  flight  of  large  birds  was  extremely  rare  ; 
before  our  arrival  the  shooting  had  been  good,  and 
since  excellent.  There  was  a  repetition  to  a  great 
extent  of  the  day  previous,  in  many  particulars  of 
flight,  number,  and  character  of  birds;  in  infinite 
modification  of  circumstance,  there  was  an  incessant 
variety  of  bewildering  sport. 

No  two  birds  ever  approach  the  sportsman's  stand 
in  precisely  the  same  way,  and  there  is  one  round  of 
deliciously  torturing  uncertainty ;  the  flock  we  are 
most  certain  of  may  turn  off,  the  one  that  has  passed 
and  been  given  up,  may  return ;  the  bird  that  has 
been  carefully  covered  may  escape,  another  that 
seems  a  hopeless  chance  may  fall :  it  is  these  minute 
differences,  and  this  continual  variety,  that  lend  the 
principal  charm  to  the  sportsman's  life. 

At  midday  came  again  the  congregation  at  the 
house,  the  discussion  over  sporting  topics,  the  joke 
or  story,  and  the  comparison  of  luck.  Thus  passed 
the  days,  alike,  yet  different,  affording  undiminished 
pleasure,  excitement,  and  instruction,  with  sport 
admirably  adapted  to  the  hot  weather,  when  the 
cool,  shady  swamps  are  deserted  by  the  woodcock. 
The  English  snipe  have  not  yet  arrived  upon  the 
meadows,  and  the  fall  shooting  is  still  in  prospective ; 


258  THE  JERSEY  COAST. 

the  labor  is  easy,  the  body  can  be  kept  cool  by 
wading  for  dead  birds,  and  to  those  who  are,  at  the 
best,  not  vigorous,  bay-snipe  shooting  is  a  delightful 
resource. 

Never  did  mortals  pass  a  pleasanter  week  than 
that  week  at  the  beach,  and  it  is  impossible  to  chro- 
nicle all  the  good  shots,  to  repeat  all  the  amusing 
stories  or  merry  jokes,  or  to  record  all  the  valuable 
instruction ;  and  to  obtain  an  inkling  even,  the  reader 
had  better  make  a  firm  resolve  that  next  August  will 
not  pass  over  his  head  without  his  devoting  at  least 
one  week  to  bay-snipe  shooting.  When  at  last  the 
time  came  to  part,  and  the  baggage  was  packed,  and 
the  guns  reluctantly  bestowed  in  their  cases,  we  bade 
our  farewell  with  sincere  regret,  praying  that  often 
thereafter  might  we  have  such  sport,  and  meet  such 
companionship. 

It  is  a  long  journey  to  the  beach,  but  it  is  a  longer 
one  back  again ;  no  high  hopes  buoy  up  the  traveller, 
regrets  accompany  him  instead — no  anticipation  of 
grand  sport,  but  the  gloomy  certainty  that  it  is  over 
for  the  year ;  and  although  the  conveyance  to  the 
beach  is  irregular,  there  is  absolutely  none  away 
from  it.  It  is  true  there  are  several  different  routes 
to  and  from  it,  but  all  by  private  conveyance,  and, 
rendered  by  the  mosquitoes  nearly  impracticable. 

Bill  harnessed  his  ponies — for,  wonderful  to  say,  a 
few  horses  and  cattle  manage  to  Jive  on  the  beach 
and  sustain  existence  in  spite  of  the  mosquitoes — and 
we  stowed  ourselves  and  our  luggage  in  his  well 
worn  wagon.    The  road  lay  over  the  barren  beach, 


THE  JERSEY  COAST.  259 

deep  and  heavy  with  sand,  and  hardly  distinguishable 
after  a  heavy  rain ;  the  one-story  shanty,  that  had 
been  our  resting-place,  soon  faded  from  view,  and 
we  had  nothing  in  prospect  but  the  dreary  journey 
home. 

At  the  head  of  the  beach  we  encountered  a  bathing- 
party,  and  were  sorely  tempted  to  join  the  rollicking 
girls  in  a  frolic  among  the  breakers ;  but,  by  exerting 
gi'eat  self-denial,  and  shutting  our  eyes  to  their  attrac- 
tions, much  to  my  companion's  disgust,  we  kept  on 
our  course.  We  dined  at  the  tavern  on  the  road, 
and  having  bade  farewell  to  Bill,  and  engaged  ano- 
ther team,  we  reached  Crab  Town  by  dusk. 

How  changed  the  village  seemed  to  us  !  Where 
was  the  precious  and  beautiful  freight  that  had  paid 
us  such  delicious  toll  ?  Our  eyes  peered  up  and 
down  the  road,  and  into  the  windows  of  the  scat- 
tered houses ;  our  ears  listened  sharply  for  the  music 
of  merry  voices  and  ringing  laughter  ;  our  thoughts 
reverted  to  that  crowded  stage,  which  had  so  lately 
borne  us  through  the  village.  The  road  was  vacant 
and  desolate  ;  all  sound  was  hushed  and  still ;  grace- 
ful forms,  clad  in  yielding  drapery,  were  nowhere  to 
be  seen  ;  the  dull  lights  in  the  windows  revealed 
nothing  to  our  earnest  gaze.  Our  lovely  companions 
were  invisible,  although  we  pursued  our  search  per- 
sistently till  late  at  night,  when,  weary  and  discon- 
solate, we  crawled  up  to  bed  in  a  dismal  hostelry 
kept  by  Huntsinger.  Going  sporting  into  Jersey  is 
delightful,  but  returning  is  sad  indeed. 


260 


BAY-BIRDS. 


1.  Lower  mandible. 

2.  Upper  mandible. 

3.  Forehead. 

4.  Loral  space. 

5.  Crown  of  the  head. 

6.  Hmd  part  of  the  head. 

7.  Scapulars  —  long    feathers 

from  shoulders  over  sides 
of  back. 

8.  Smaller  wing  coverts. 

9.  Bend  of  the  wing 
10.  Larger  wing  coverts. 


11.  Tertials,  arising  from  tl.e 

second  bone  of  the  wing 
at  the  elbow-joint. 

12.  Secondaries,  from  the  se- 

cond bone  of  the  wing. 

13.  Primaries,   from    the  first 

bone  of  the  wing. 
U.  Tibia,  the  thigh. 

15.  Tarsus,  the  shank. 

16.  Upper  taQ  coverts. 

17.  Lower  tail  coverts. 

18.  Tail  feathers. 


The  length  of  a  bird  is  measured  from  the  extremity  of  the 
bill  to  the  end  of  the  longest  tail  feather ;  the  length  of  the 
wing  is  measured  from  the  bend  to  the  tip  of  the  longest  quiU. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BAT-BIKDS. 

Although  a  cursoiy  account  of  the  various  bay-birds, 
their  habits  and  peculiarities,  has  been  given  in  a 
previous  chapter,  it  seems  desirable  to  add  a  more 
complete,  exhaustive,  and  specific  description.  This 
is  attempted  in  the  following  pages,  and  although 
the  ornithological  characteristics  are  taken  from 
GiraudCs  Birds  of  Long  Island^  which  seems  to 
have  been  the  resource  of  all  our  sporting  writers, 
nothing  else  is  derived  from  him;  but  the  facts  ai*e 
stated,  either  upon  personal  knowledge,  which  is 
generally  the  case,  or  upon  reliable  information. 

As  to  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of  any  particu- 
lar species,  the  experience  of  sportsmen  will  differ 
according  to  the  accident  of  flight,  or  the  locality  of 
their  favorite  sporting-ground  ;  and  in  relation  to 
their  shyness  or  gentleness,  much  depends  upon  the 
time  of  year  and  the  condition  of  the  weather.  In 
consequence  of  the  confusion  of  nomenclature,  it  has 
been  deemed  advisable  to  give  the  scientific  descrip- 
tion of  the  common  species,  each  one  being  placed 
under  its  most  appropriate  name,  and  to  collect 
together  as  many  designations  as  could  be  found  to 
have  been  applied  to  them  respectively.  Never- 
theless, many  names  will  no  doubt  be  omitted,  and 


262  BAY-BIRDS. 

there  will  be  other  birds,  and  some  quite  common 
varieties,  that,  among  bay-men,  have  no  names  what- 
ever. 

It  is  not  intended  to  furnish  a  description  of  all 
the  species  of  shore-snipe  that  occasionally  are  killed, 
but  to  supply  such  information  as  will  enable  the 
sportsman  to  distinguish  the  ordinary  varieties ;  and 
such  facts  as  have  not  been  fully  stated,  which  are 
more  especially  applicable  to  certain  members  of  this 
great  class,  are  grouped  together  under  separate 
heads.  Nothing  is  expected  to  be  added  to  the 
ornithological  learning  of  the  world,  and  only  such 
portions  of  that  science  are  given  as  may  be  consi- 
dered desirable  for  the  ready  use  of  the  sportsman 
in  the  intelligent  pursuit  of  his  pleasures. 

Plovers. 

Genus  Charadrius,  Linn. 

Getieric  distinctions. — Bill  short,  strong,  straight, 
about  the  length  of  the  head,  which  is  rather  large 
and  prominent  in  front ;  eyes  large  ;  body  full ;  neck 
short  and  rather  thick ;  wings  long ;  tail  rounded  and 
of  moderate  length ;  toes  connected  at  the  base ;  hind 
toe  wanting,  or  consisting  of  a  small  knob. 

Black-Breast. 

Bull-Headed  Plover.   Beetle-Headed  Plover.  Black-Bellied 

Plover. 

Cliaradrius  Helveticus,  WiJs. 

This  bird  is  killed  along  our  bays  indiscriminately 

with  the  other  snipe,  although  it  does  not  stool  as 


BAY-BIRDS  263 

well  as  the  marlin  or  yellow-legs.  It  passes  north 
early  in  May,  when  it  is  often  called  the  black-bel- 
lied plover,  and  regarded  from  its  plumage  as  a  dis- 
tinct variety  from  the  fall  bird  ;  it  is  then  quite  shy. 
In  August  or  September  it  returns,  being  more  plen- 
tiful in  the  latter  month,  and  is  often  found  in  great 
numbers  especially  at  Montauk  Point ;  and  at  that 
period  the  young,  being  quite  fat,  are  regarded,  as 
delicious  eating.  It  is  then  greyer  in  appearance 
and  not  so  strongly  colored  as  when  in  full  plumage. 
Before  the  main  flight  arrives,  scattering  individuals 
are  heard  uttering  their  peculiar  beautiful  and  shrill 
cry,  and  are  seen  shyly  approaching  the  stools,  or 
darting  round  not  far  off,  and  yet  afraid  to  draw 
close  to  them.  Its  head  is  large  and  round,  giving 
rise  to  the  name  of  bull-head,  which  is  common  on 
the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  although  in  New  York  it 
is  generally  known  as  black-breast. 

"  Specijic  Character. — Bill  stout,  along  the  gap 
one  inch  and  five-sixteenths  ;  length  of  tarsi  one  inch 
and  five-eighths.  Adult  male  with  the  bill  black, 
strong,  shorter  than  the  head ;  cheeks,  loral  space, 
throat,  fore-neck,  breast,  with  a  large  portion  of  the 
abdomen  black ;  hind  part  of  the  abdomen  and  flanks 
white ;  forehead,  with  a  broad  band  passing  down 
the  sides  of  the  neck  and  breast,  white  ;  crown,  oc- 
ciput, and  hind-neck  greyish  white,  spotted  with 
dusky ;  upper  parts  blackish-brown,  the  feathers 
broadly  tipped  with  white ;  eye  encircled  with  white; 
tail  and  upper  tail-coverts  white,  barred  with  black, 
the  former  tipped  with  white ;    lower  tail-coverts 


264  BAY-BIRDS. 

white,  the  outer  feather  spotted  -with  black ;  pri- 
maries and  their  coverts  blackish-hrovvn,  the  latter 
margined  with  white ;  primary  shafts  about  two- 
thirds  from  the  base,  white,  tips  blackish -brown ; 
part  of  the  inner  webs  of  the  outer  j^rimaries  white  ; 
both  webs  of  the  inner  primaries  partially  white ; 
secondaries  white  at  the  base,  margined  at  the  same ; 
feet  black  ;  toes  connected  by  a  membrane.  Female 
smaller.  Young  Avith  the  upper  plumage  greyish- 
brown,  the  feathers  spotted  with  white ;  throat,  fore- 
neck,  and  upper  part  of  the  breast  greyish-white, 
streaked  with  dusky  ;  rest  of  the  lower  parts  white. 
Length  of  adult  male  eleven  inches  and  three  quar- 
ters, wing  seven  and  a  half" — GiraudPs  Birds  of 
Long  Island. 

American  Golden  Plover. 

Frost  Bird,  Greenback, 

Oharadrius  Pluvialis,  Wils. 

This  bird  furnishes  great  sport  at  Montauk  Point, 
when  the  fortunate  sportsman  happens  to  arrive 
after  a  fierce  north-easter  early  in  September  and 
during  one  of  those  wonderful  flights  that  occasion- 
ally occur.  They  come  readily  to  the  decoys  which 
are  placed  in  the  open  upland  fields,  and  were  once 
killed  in  great  numbers  on  Hempstead  plains  before 
cultivation  ejected  them.  A  large  number  of  de- 
coys should  be  used,  for  they  are  not  so  easily  seen 
as  when  set  in  the  water.  After  alighting,  the  gold- 
en plover  runs  with  great  activity  in  pursuit  of  the 


BAY-BIRDS.  265 

insects,  mostly  grasshoppers,  on  which  it  feeds  ;  and 
when  killed  it  constitutes  a  prime  delicacy  for  the 
table,  and  brings  a  high  price  in  market.  It  passes 
to  the  northward  in  the  latter  part  of  April,  and  re- 
turns in  the  early  part  of  September.  Its  general 
color  on  the  back  is  greenish,  and  it  has  a  distinct 
light  stripe  alongside  of  the  eye.  They  often  con- 
gregate in  immense  numbers,  and  I  have  certainly 
seen  a  thousand  in  a  flock. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  rather  slender ;  along 
the  gap  one  inch  and  an  eighth ;  tarsi  one  and  nine- 
sixteenths.  Adult  with  the  bill  black,  much  slighter 
than  G.  helveticus  ;  forehead,  and  a  band  over  the  eye, 
extending  behind  the  eye,  white ;  upper  parts,  includ- 
ing the  crown,  brownish-black,  the  feathers  marked 
with  spots  of  golden  yellow  and  dull  white ;  quills 
and  coverts  dark  ~ greyish-brown  ;  secondaries  paler 
— the  inner  margined  with  yello wish- white ;  tail 
feathers  greyish-brown,  barred  with  paler,  the  central 
with  dull  yellow;  shafts  of  the  wing  quills  white 
towards  the  end,  which,  with  their  bases,  are  dark 
brown ;  lower  parts  brownish-black,  though  in  gene- 
ral we  find  them  mottled  with  brown,  dull  white,  and 
black ;  lower  tail-coverts  white,  the  lateral  marked 
with  black ;  feet  bluish-grey.  Late  in  autumn,  the 
golden  markings  on  the  upper  parts  are  not  so  dis- 
tinct, and  the  lower  parts  are  greyish-blue.  Length, 
ten  inches  and  a  half,  wing  seven  and  one-eighth." — 
Glraud. 


2GQ  BAY-BIRDS. 

Beach-Bird. 

Piping  Plover. 
Oharadrius  Hiaticula,  Wils. 

The  beach-bird,  as  its  name  implies,  prefers  the 
beaches  to  the  meadows,  and  follows  each  retreating 
wave  of  ocean  surf  in  pursuit  of  its  prey,  escaping 
with  amazing  agility  from  the  next  swell.  It  is  a 
pretty  little  bird,  not  often  associating  in  flocks,  and 
on  hazy  days  coming  well  to  the  decoys,  which 
should  be  placed  near  to  the  surf,  while  the  sports- 
man conceals  himself  by  digging  a  hollow  in  tlje 
loose  sand.  Although  these  birds  are  small,  they 
are  plump  and  well  flavored,  and  when  flying  rapid- 
ly on  a  level  with  the  flashing  breakers,  amid  the 
noise  and  confusion  of  old  ocean's  roar,  are  by  no 
means  easy  to  kill.  They  are  present  with  us  more 
or  less  all  summer,  their  diminutive  size  tending  to 
protect  them  from  destruction. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  shorter  than  the  head  ; 
at  base  orange  color,  towards  the  end  black;  fore- 
neck  and  cheeks  pure  white,  bordered  above  with 
black ;  rest  of  the  head  very  pale  brown.  Adult 
male  with  the  bill  short,  orange  at  the  base,  anterior 
to  the  nostrils  black;  forehead  white,  with  a  band  of 
black  crossing  directly  above ;  upper  part  of  the  head, 
hind  neck,  back,  scapulars,  and  wing  coverts,  pale 
brown  ;  rump  white,  the  central  feathers  tinged  with 
brown  ;  tail  brown,  white  at  base,  tipped  with  the 
same  ;  lateral  feathers  pure  white — the  next  with  a 
spot  of  blackish-brown  near  the  end  ;  upper    tail 


BAY-BIRDS.  267 

coverts  white  ;  primaries  brown ;  a  large  portion  of 
the  inner  webs  white ;  a  spot  of  the  same  on  the 
outer  webs  of  the  inner  quills  ;  secondaries  white, 
with  a  large  spot  of  brown  towards  the  ends ;  lower 
surface  of  the  wings  white,  a  black  baud  round  the 
lower  part  of  the  neck,  broadest  on  the  sides  where 
it  terminates;  entire  lower  plumage  white.  Female 
similar,  with  the  band  on  the  neck  brown.  Length 
seven  inches,  wing  four  and  a  half." —  Giraud. 

KiLDEEB. 

Charadrius  Vodferus,  Wils. 

A  worthless  bird,  furnishing  no  sport,  and  poor 
eating. 

"  Specific  Character. — A  band  on  the  forehead  pass- 
ing back  to  the  eye ;  a  line  over  the  eye,  upper  part 
of  the  neck  all  round,  and  a  band  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  fore-neck,  white  ;  above  and  below  the  latter, 
a  broad  black  band;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts 
orange  red.  Adult  with  the  bill  black ;  at  the  base 
a  band  of  blackish-brown  ;  on  the  forehead  a  band 
of  white  passing  back  to  the  eye ;  directly  above  a 
band  of  black;  rest  of  the  head  brown,  with  a 
band  of  white  behind  the  eye ;  throat  white  ;  a  broad 
band  of  the  same  color  encircling  the  upper  part  of 
the  neck ;  middle  of  the  neck  encircled  with  black, 
much  broader  on  the  fore-neck ;  below  which,  on 
the  fore-neck,  a  band  of  white,  followed  by  a  band 
of  black  on  the  lower  neck,  the  feathers  of  which  are 
tipped  with  white,  of  which  color  are  the  breast, 


868  BAY-BIRDS. 

abdomen,  under  tail-coverts,  and  sides,  the  latter 
faintly  tinged  with  yellow ;  tail  rather  long,  round- 
ed ;  the  outer  feathers  white,  barred  with  brownish- 
black,  their  tips  white,  with  a  single  spot  of  black- 
ish-brown on  the  outer  web  ;  the  rest  pale  reddish- 
brown  at  the  base,  changing  into  brownish-black 
towards  the  ends,  which  are  white ;  some  of  the  in- 
ner feathers  tipped  with  yellowish-brown  ;  the  mid- 
dle feathers  are  plain  brown,  with  a  darker  spot 
towards  the  ends,  which  are  slightly  tipped  with 
white  ;  upper  tail-coverts  and  rump  reddish-brown, 
the  latter  brighter  ;  upper  parts  brown,  the  feathers 
margined  with  reddish-brown ;  primaries  dark  brown, 
with  a  large  portion  of  the  inner  web  white  ;  a  spot 
of  the  same  color  on  the  outer  webs  towards  the  tips, 
excepting  the  first  two;  their  coverts  blackish-brown 
tipped  with  white ;  secondaries  white,  with  a  large 
spot  of  brown  towards  the  ends ;  their  tips,  with 
those  of  the  primaries,  white  ;  secondary  coverts 
brown,  broadly  tipped  with  white.  Length  ten 
inches,  wing  seven  inches." — Giraud. 

Sandeeling. 

Charadrius  Ruhidus,  WUs. 

^'•SpeciJiG  Character. — Bill  straight,  black,  along 
the  gap  one  inch  and  one-eighth  ;  length  of  tarsi  one 
inch ;  hind  toe  wanting.  Adult  with  the  bill  straight, 
about  as  long  as  the  head.  Spring  plumage,  upper 
parts,  with  the  throat,  fore-neck,  and  upper  part  of 
the  breast  rufous,  intermixed  with  dusky  and  grey- 


BAY-BIRDS.  269 

ish  white ;  deeper  red  on  the  back ;  lower  part  of 

the  breast,  abdomen,  and  sides  of  the  body  pure 
white ;  tarsi  and  feet  black  ;  claws  small,  compress- 
ed ;  primaries,  outer  webs,  black ;  inner  webs  light 
brown ;  shafts  brown  at  the  base,  tips  black,  rest 
parts  white  ;  secondaries  light  brown,  broadly  mar- 
gined with  white.  Winter  dress,  lower  parts  white ; 
upper  parts  greyish-white,  intermixed  with  black  or 
dusky,  darkest  on  the  back.  Length  seven  inches 
and  three-quarters,  wing  four  and  seven-eighths." — 
Giraud. 

Turnstone. 
Genus  Strepsilas. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  shorter  than  the  head, 
strong,  tapering,  compressed,  and  blunt ;  neck  rather 
short ;  body  full ;  wings  long,  of  moderate  breadth, 
and  pointed  ;  tail  round,  rather  short,  and  composed 
of  twelve  feathers;  tarsus  equal  to  the  middle  toe, 
and  rather  stout ;  hind  toe  small,  fore-toes  free,  with 
a  narrow  margin. 

Brant-Bird. 

Horse-foot  Snipe,  Turnstone,  Beach-Robins. 

Strepsilas  Interpres. 

This  is  a  beautiful  bird,  and  stools  pretty  well, 
but  is  rare»and  mostly  solitary  ;  its  young  are  at  Egg 
Harbor  sometimes  termed  beach-birds.  The  brant- 
bird  is  considered  good  eating.  It  feeds  on  the  eggs 
of  the  king-crab  or  horse-foot,  which  it  digs  up  by 
Jumping  in  the  air  and  striking  with  both  its  feet  at 


270  BAY-BIRDS. 

once  into  the  sand,  thus  scratching  a  hole  about  three 
inches  deep  and  an  inch  and  a  half  across. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  black ;  feet  orange  ;  the 
head  and  sides  of  the  neck  streaked  and  patched 
with  black  and  white ;  fore  part  of  the  neck  and 
upper  portion  of  the  sides  of  the  breast,  black ;  low- 
er parts,  hind  part  of  the  back,  and  upper  tail-cov- 
erts white ;  rump  dusky ;  rest  of  the  upper  parts 
reddish-brown,  mottled  with  black ;  primaries  dusky ; 
a  band  across  the  Avings  and  the  throat  white. 
Young  with  the  head  and  neck  all  round,  fore  part 
of  the  back,  and  sides  of  the  breast,  dusky  brown, 
streaked  and  margined  with  greyish- white  ;  wing- 
coverts  and  tertials  broadly  margined  with  dull  red- 
dish-brown. It  can  at  all  times  be  identified  by  its 
having  the  throat,  lower  parts,  hind  part  of  the  back, 
and  the  upper  tail-coverts  white,  and  the  feathers 
on  the  rump  dusky.  Adult  with  the  bill  black, 
throat  white,  sides  of  the  head  mottled  with  black 
and  white  ;  crown  streaked  with  black  on  white 
ground ;  on  the  hind  neck  a  patch  of  white  ;  a  patch 
of  black  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  of  which  color  are 
the  fore-neck  and  the  sides  of  the  breast;  lower 
parts  white ;  tail  blackish-brown,  white  at  the  base, 
of  which  color  are  the  lateral  feathers,  with  a  spot 
of  black  on  the  inner  vanes  near  the  end — the  rest 
margined  with  reddish-brown,  and  tipped  with 
white ;  upper  tail-coverts  white;  hind  part  of  the 
back  white  ;  the  feathers  on  the  rump  black ;  fore 
part  of  the  back  mottled  with  black  and  reddish- 
brown  ;  primaries  dark  brown,  inner  webs  white  ;* 


BAY-BIRDS.  271 

secondaries  broadly  edged  with  white,  forming  a 
band  on  the  wings  ;  outer  secondary  coverts  reddisli- 
brown,  inner  black;  outer  scapulars  white,  with 
dusky  spots;  inner  scapulars  reddish  brown.  In 
winter  the  colors  are  duller.  Length  nine  inches, 
wing  five  and  three-quarters." — Giraud. 

Sandpiper. 

Genus  TringcL. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  straight,  slender,  and 
tapering,  compressed  towards  the  end,  and  but  little 
longer  than  the  head ;  body  rather  full ;  wings  very 
long  and  pointed  ;  tail  rather  short  and  nearly  even  ; 
tarsi  moderate ;  hind  toe  very  small,  and  sometimes 
wanting ;  fore  toes  slender,  of  moderate  length,  and 
generally  divided. 

Robin-Snipe. 

Red-breasted  Sandpipei-. 

Tringa  Cinerea,  Wils.     Winter. 

Tnngd  Rufa,  Wils.     Spring. 

This  delicious  and  beautiful  bird,  although  far 
from  plentiful,  furnishes  excellent  sport,  coming 
readily  to  stool,  and  flying  regularly  and  steadily.  It 
mostly  affects  the  marshy  islands  lying  between  the 
salt  water  creeks,  and  derives  its  name  fi'ora  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  the  robin,  as  he  is  termed 
among  us.  It  is  always  gentle,  occasionally  abun- 
dant, and  generally  fat  nnd  tender ;  by  reason  of  its 


372  BAY-BIRDS. 

Steady  flight  it  is  not  difficult  to  kill ;  and  its  food, 
mostly  shell-fish,  does  not  contribute  an  unpleasant 
flavor  to  its  flesh.  It  arrives  from  the  north  about 
the  middle  of  August,  and  often  lingers  for  some 
time  on  the  meadows.  As  the  season  advances  its 
plumage  becomes  paler,  till  it  acquires  the  name  of 
white  robin-snipe — although  I  have  often  seen  them 
late  in  August  of  the  most  beautiful  and  strongly 
marked  coloring,  the  breast  being  a  rich  brownish 
red  and  the  back  a  fine  grey. 

The  robin-snipe  is  of  about  the  size  of  the  dow- 
itcher,  with  a  shorter  and  more  pointed  bill,  and 
is  killed  indiscriminately  on  the  stools  with  the 
other  bay-birds.  Its  call  consists  of  two  notes,  and 
is  sharp  and  clear ;  when  well  imitated,  it  will  often 
attract  the  confiding  snipe  to  the  gunner,  exposed 
in  full  view,  and  without  decoys.  This  bird  is  very 
beautiful,  and  a  great  favorite. 

'•'"Specific  Character. — Bill  straight,  longer  than  the 
head ;  tarsi  one  inch  and  three-sixteenths  long ; 
rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  white,  barred  with 
dark  brown  ;  region  of  the  vent  and  the  lower  tail- 
coverts  white,  with  dusky  markings.  In  spring  the 
upper  parts  are  ash-grey,  variegated  with  black  and 
pale  yellowish-red  ;  lower  parts,  including  the  throat 
and  fore-neck,  brownish-orange.  In  autumn  the 
upper  parts  are  ash-grey,  margined  with  dull  white ; 
rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  barred  with  black  and 
white ;  lower  parts  white ;  the  sides  of  the  body 
marked  with  dusky ;  a  dull  white  line  over  the  eye. 
Adult  in  spring — bill  black  ;  a  broad  band  of  reddish 


,iti"lii.l;ll|i 


BAY-BIRDS.  275 

brown  commences  at  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible, 
extends  half-way  to  the  eye,  where  it  changes  to 
reddish-brown ;  upper  part  of  head  and  the  hind 
neck  dusky,  tlie  feathers  margined  with  greyish 
white — a  few  touclies  of  pale  reddish-brown  on  the 
latter ;  throat,  fore-neck,  breast,  and  abdomen  red- 
dish-brown ;  vent  white  ;  lower  tail  coverts  whitt', 
spotted  with  dusky  ;  upper  plumage  blackish-brown, 
upper  tail-coverts  barred  with  black  and  white;  tail 
pale  brown,  margined  with  white ;  primary  coverts 
black,  tipped  with  Avhite;  secondary  coverts  grey- 
ish-brown, margined  with  white.  Young  with  the 
upper  parts  greyish-brown  ;  the  feathers  with  cen- 
tral dusky  streaks,  a  narrow  line  of  cinnamon-color 
towards  their  margins,  which  are  dull  white ;  the 
lower  parts  ash-grey.  Length  of  adult,  ten  inches ; 
wing,  six  and  three-quarters." — Giraud. 

Upland  Plover. 

Grey,  Grass,  or  Field  Plover. 

Bartram's  Sandpiper. 

Tringd,  Bartramia,  Wils. 

This  bird,  although  scientifically  not  a  plover,  is, 
by  its  habits,  entitled  to  an  appellation  that  common 
consent  has  bestowed  upon  it.  It  is  found  upon  the 
uplands,  never  frequenting  the  marshes  except  by 
crossing  them  while  migrating,  and  feeds,  not  on 
shell-fish  or  the  innumerable  minute  insects  that  live 
in  sand  and  salt  mud,  but  on  the  grasshoppers  and 
seeds  of  the  open  fields.   It  never  takes  the  slightest 


276  BAY-BIRDS. 

notice  of  the  stools,  is  comparatively  a  solitary  bird, 
and  although  continnally  uttering  its  melodious  cry, 
does  not  heed  a  responsive  call. 

On  the  eastern  extremity  of  Long  Island,  and 
along  the  coast  of  New  England,  are  vast  rolling 
and  hilly  stretches  of  land,  where  there  are  no  trees 
and  little  vegetation,  besides  a  short  thin  grass,  and 
here  the  plovers  rest  and  feed.  They  migrate  to  the 
southward  in  August,  and  appear  about  the  same 
time  scattered  from  Nantucket  to  New  Jersey.  In 
spite  of  their  shyness  and  the  difficulty  of  killing 
them,  they  are  pursued  relentlessly  by  man  with 
every  device  that  he  finds  will  outwit  their  cunning 
or  deceive  their  vigilance. 

Rhode  Island  has  long  been  one  of  their  favorite 
resorts,  but  has  been  overrun  with  gunners,  who 
follow  the  vocation  either  for  sport  or  pleasure,  and 
there,  for  many  years,  the  grey  plover  were  killed 
in  considerable  quantities.  Many  are  still  found  in 
the  same  locality,  or  further  east,  as  well  as  at 
Montauk  Point;  but  at  Hempstead  Plains,  where 
they  were  once  found  quite  numerous,  they  appear  no 
longer  ;  and  the  eastern  shore  of  New  Jersey  being 
unsuited  to  their  habits,  they  rarely  sojourn  or  even 
pause  upon  it.  They  travel  as  well  by  night  as  by 
day ;  and  in  the  still  summer  nights  their  sweet  trill- 
ing cry  may  be  heard  at  sliort  intervals ;  while  dur- 
ing the  day  they  will  often  be  seen  in  small  bodies,  or 
uingly,  winging  their  way  rapidly  towards  the  south. 

They  are  wary,  fly  I'apidiy,  and  are  difficult  to 
shoot,  and,  were  it  not  for  one  peculiarity,  would 


BAY-BIRDS.  277 

escape  almost  scatheless.  Alighting  only  in  the  open 
fields,  where  the  thin  grass  reveals  every  enemy  and 
exposes  every  approaching  object  to  their  view ; 
i-eadily  alarmed  at  the  first  symptom  of  danger,  and 
shunning  the  slightest  familiarity  with  man,  they  are 
impossible  to  reach  except  with  laborious  and  pain 
ful  creeping  that  no  sportsman  cares  to  undertake. 
Not  sufliciently  gregarious  or  friendly  in  their  na- 
ture to  desire  the  company  of  wooden  decoys,  they 
cannot  be  lured  within  gunshot ;  and  it  is  only 
through  their  confidence  in  their  fellow-beasts  that 
their  destruction  can  be  accomplished. 

A  horse,  they  know,  has  no  evil  design,  does  not 
live  on  plover,  and  may  be  permitted  to  come  and 
go  as  he  pleases ;  a  horse  drawing  a  wagon  is  to  be 
pitied,  not  feared  ;  and,  most  fortunately,  the  birds 
cannot  conceive  that  a  man  would  be  mean  enough 
to  hide  in  that  wagon,  and  drive  that  horse  in  an 
ingenious  manner  round  and  round  them,  every 
time  narrowing  the  circle  till  he  gets  within  shot. 
Man,  however,  is  ready  for  any  subterfuge  to  gain 
his  plover ;  and,  seated  on  the  tail-board,  or  a  place 
behind  prepared  for  the  purpose,  he  steps  to  the 
ground  the  moment  the  wagon  stops,  and  as  the 
bird  immediately  rises,  fires — being  often  compelled, 
in  spite  of  his  ingenuity,  to  take  a  long  shot. 

Even  in  this  mode  no  large  number  of  birds  is 
killed,  and  by  creeping  or  stalking  few  indeed  are 
obtained.  One  inventive  genius  made  an  imitation 
cow  of  slats  and  canvas  painted  to  represent  the 
living  animal,  and,  mounting  it  upon  his  shoulders. 


278  BAY-BIRDS. 

was  often  able  to  approach  without  detection ; 
when  near  enough,  or  if  the  bird  became  alarmed, 
he  cast  off  his  false  skin  and  used  his  fowling-piece. 
This  was  certainly  an  original  and  successful  mode  of 
modifying  an  idea  derived  from  the  times  of  ancient 
Troy. 

This  biid  is  so  delicious  and  so  highly  prized  by 
the  epicure,  that  no  pains  are  spared  in  its  capture  ; 
it  is  by  many  superior  judges  regarded  as  the  rich- 
est and  most  delicately  flavored  of  the  birds  of 
America ;  while  its  timid  and  wary  disposition  ren- 
ders it  the  most  difficult  to  kill.  It  is,  therefore, 
justly  esteemed  the  richest  prize  of  the  sportsman 
and  the  gourmand,  and  holds  as  high  a  rank  in  the 
field  as  in  the  market. 

It  is  not,  properly  speaking,  a  bay -bird  ;  but  as  it 
is  frequently  shot  from  the  stand  when  passing  near 
the  decoys,  these  few  remarks  concerning  it  are  in- 
serted. It  is  essentially  an  upland  bird,  although 
from  the  nature  of  its  migration  it  passes  along  the 
coast  and  occasionally  far  out  at  sea. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  slender,  rather  longer 
than  the  head  ;  tarsi  one  inch  and  seven-eighths ; 
neck  rather  long,  slender  ;  axillars  distinctly  barred 
with  black  and  greyish-white ;  upper  parts  dark 
brown,  margined  with  yellowish-brown  ;  fore-neck 
and  fore  part  of  the  breast  with  arrow-shaped  mark- 
ings ;  rest  of  the  lower  parts  yellowish- white. 
Adult  with  the  bill  slender,  yellowish-green,  dusky 
at  the  tip  ;  upper  part  of  the  head  dark  brown,  with 
a   central   yellowish-brown   line,  the   feathers  mar- 


BAY-BIRDS.  279 

giucd  with  the  same  color ;  hind  part  and  sides  of 
the  neck  yellowish-brown,  streaked  with  dusky; 
fore  i)art  of  the  neck  and  breast  paler,  with  pointed 
streaks  of  dusky ;  sides  of  the  body  barred  with  the 
same;  rest  of  lower  parts  yellowish- white;  lower 
wing-coverts  white,  barred  with  browi;ish-black ; 
upper  plumage  dark-brown,  margined  witli  yellow- 
ish-brown, darker  on  the  hind  part  of  the  back; 
])rimarics  dark-brown  ;  coverts  the  same  color ;  inner 
webs  of  the  primaries  barred  wiih  white,  more  par- 
ticularly on  the  first — the  shaft  of  which  is  white ; 
tlie  rest  brown,  all  tipped  with  white ;  secondaries 
more  broadly  tipped  with  the  same;  coverts  and 
scapulars  dark-brown,  margined  with  yellowish- 
brown,  and  tipped  with  white ;  tail  barred  with 
black  and  yellowish-brown,  tipped  with  white ;  mid- 
dle feathers  darker,  tipped  with  black.  Length  ten 
inches  and  a  half,  wing  six  and  five-eighths." — 
Giraud. 

Red-Backed  Sandpiper. 

Winter     Snipe. — Black-breast. 
Tringd  Alpina,  Wils. 

This  bird  absolutely  has  no  common  name. 

'■''Speeijic  Character. — Bill  about  one-third  longer 
than  the  head,  bent  towards  the  end ;  length  of  tarsi, 
one  inch.  Adult  with  the  bill  black — one-third 
longer  than  the  head,  slightly  bent  towards  the  end, 
and  rather  shorter  than  that  of  T.  Subarquata; 
upper  part  of  the  head,  back,  and  scapular,  ohestnut- 


280  BAY-BIRDS. 

red,  the  centre  of  each  feather  black,  which  color 
occupies  a  large  portion  of  the  scapulars;  wing- 
coverts  and  quills  greyish-brown ;  the  bases  and  tips 
of  the  secondaries  and  parts  of  the  outer  webs  of 
the  middle  primaries,  white ;  forehead,  sides  of  tlin 
head,  and  hind  neck,  pale  reddish-grey,  streaked 
with  dusky ;  fore  neck  and  up[)er  part  of  l)reast. 
greyish-white,  streaked  with  dusky;  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  breast  a  lai-ge  black  patch  ;  abdomen 
white ;  lower  tail  coverts  white,  marked  with  dusky ; 
tail  light-brownish  grey,  streaked — the  central  lea- 
thers darker. 

"  Winter  dress,  upper  parts  brownish-grey ;  throat, 
greyish-white ;  fore  part  and  sides  of  neck,  sides  of 
the  head,  and  sides  of  the  body,  pale  brownish-grey, 
faintly  streaked  with  darker ;  rest  of  the  lower  parr* 
white.  Length,  seven  inches  and  a  half;  wing,  four 
and  an  eighth." — Giraud. 

Long-Legged  Sandpiper- 
Peep,  Blind  Snipe,  Frost  Snipe,  Stilt. 

Tringd  Himantopus.  •    • 

This  bird  also  is  nameless :  it  is  rare,  although  1 
have  killed  quite  a  number  of  them,  and  I  believe  it!- 
numbers  are  increasing ;  it  rarely  consorts  in  flocki* 
of  more  than  five  or  six,  stools  readily,  and  is  often 
mistaken  for  the  yellow-legs. 

"  /Specific  Character. — Bill  about  one-third  longer 
than  the  head,  slightly  arched  ;  length  of  tarsi,  out? 
inch  and  throe-eighths.     Adidt,  with  the  upper  part* 


BAY-BIRDS.  281 

brownish-black,  the  feathers  margined  with  reddish 
white  ;  the  edges  of  the  scapulars  with  semiform 
markings  of  the  same  ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts 
ivhite,  transversely  barred  with  dusky ;  tail,  light 
grey,  the  feathers  white  at  the  base  and  along  the 
middle  ;  primary  quills  and  coverts  brownish-black — 
iimer  tinged  with  grey ;  the  shaft  of  the  outer  pri- 
mary, white  ;  secondaries,  brownish-grey,  margined 
with  reddish-white,  the  inner  dusky  ;  a  broad  whitish 
line  over  the  eye ;  loral  space  dusky ;  auriculars, 
pale  brownish-red ;  fore  part  and  sides  of  neck, 
greyish  white,  tinged  with  red,  and  longitudinally 
streaked  with  dusky ;  the  rest  of  the  lower  parts, 
pale  reddish,  transversely  barred  with  dusky ;  the 
middle  of  the  breast  and  the  abdomen  without 
markings;  legs  long  and  slender,  of  a  yellowish- 
green  color.  In  autumn,  the  plumage  duller,  of  a 
more  greyish  appearance,  and  the  reddish  markings 
wanting,  excepting  on  the  sides  of  the  head,  and  a 
few  touches  on  the  scapular.  Length,  nine  inches ; 
wing,  five." — Giraud. 

Ring-neck.  , 

American    Ring    Plover. 

Ttinga  Eiaticula,  Wils. 

This  is  a  small,  but  delicate,  fat,  and  pretty  bird ;  it 
does  not  stool  well,  and  accompanies  the  small  snipe. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  shorter  than  the  head ; 
base,  orange  color,  towards  the  point,  black ;  a  broad 
band  on  the  forehead  white,  margined  below  with 


282  BAY-BIRDS. 

a  narrow  black  band,  above  with  a  broad  band  of 
the  same  color ;  rest  part  of  the  head  wood-brown ; 
lateral  toes  connected  by  a  membrane  as  iar  as  the 
fii'St  joint ;  inner  toes,  about  half  that  distance. 
Adult  male  with  the  bill  flesh  color  at  base,  anterior 
to  the  nostrils  black  ;  a  line  of  black  commences  at 
the  base  of  the  upper  mandible,  passes  back  to  the 
eye,  curving  downward  on  the  sides  of  the  neck ;  a 
band  on  the  fore  part  of  the  head  pure  white ;  fore 
part  of  crown,  black  ;  occiput,  wood-brown  ;  chin, 
throat,  and  fore  neck,  passing  round  on  the  hind 
neck,  pure  white  ;  directly  below,  on  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  neck,  a  broad  band  of  black ;  upper 
plumage,  wood-brown  ;  primaries,  blackish-brown  ; 
shafts,  white — blackish-brown  at  their  tips;  secon- 
daries slightly  edged  with  white  on  the  inner  webs ; 
outer  webs,  nearest  to  the  shafts,  an  elongated,  spot 
of  white ;  wing-coverts  wood-brown ;  secondary 
coverts  broadly  tipped  with  white ;  breast,  abdo- 
men, sides,  and  lower  tail-coverts,  pure  white  ;  tail 
brown,  lighter  at  the  base  ;  outer  feathers  white — 
the  rest  broadly  tipped  with  white,  excepting  the 
middle  pair,  which  are  slightly  tipped  with  the 
same.  Female  similar,  with  the  upper  part  of  the 
head  and  the  band  on  the  neck  brown.  Length, 
seven  inches  and  a  quarter;  wing  five." — Giraud. 


Bay-birds.  283 

Krieksb. 

Meadow  Snipe,  Fat  Bird,  Short  Neck,  Jack  Snipe,  Pec- 
toral Sandpiper. 

Tringa  Pedoralis,   Aud. 

This  is  an  excellent  bird,  remaining  in  the  meadows 
till  October,  and  becoming  fat,  rich,  and  fine  fla- 
vored, but  unfortunately  it  will  not  come  to  the 
stools.  Although  frequently  associating  in  flocks,  it 
can  hardly  be  said  to  be  truly  gregarious,  and  is  as 
often  found  with  the  different  varieties  of  small  snipe 
as  with  its  own  number.  It  is  quite  a  difficult  bird  to 
kill  when  on  the  wing,  its  flight  being  rapid  and 
irregular,  and  its  size  small ;  but  when  it  becomes 
fat  and  lazy,  after  a  long  residence  in  well  supplied 
feeding-grounds,  not  only  is  its  flight  slower  and  it- 
self easier  to  hit,  but  it  is  often  shot  sitting.  Its 
general  color  is  grey,  with  white  on  the  abdomen ; 
and  its  size  varies  greatly  according  to  its  age  and 
condition,  some  being  of  more  than  double  the  size 
of  others.  As  a  natural  consequence,  considerable 
practice  is  required  to  distinguish  it  readily  from  the 
ox-eyes  by  which  it  is  often  surrounded,  when  the 
meadow  grass  hides  it,  in  a  measure,  from  view.  It 
feeds  and  dwells  altogether  in  the  meadows,  finding 
its  food  in  the  stagnant  water  collected  upon  their 
surface,  and  is  only  plentiful  when  these  are  wet. 
When  alarmed,  it  rises  rapidly,  and  makes  off  in  a 
zigzag  way,  that  reminds  the  sportsmsin  of  the  flight 
of  English  snipe ;  and  early  in  the  season  it  is  wild 
and  shy.     It  occasionally  passes  over  the  stools,  but 


284  BAY-BIRDS. 

never  pauses  or  seems  to  notice  them;  and  for  this 
reason,  in  spite  of  its  epicurean  recommendations, 
it  is  generally  neglected.  In  the  cool  days  of  Sep- 
tember and  October,  when  the  mosquitoes  have  suo- 
cumbed  in  a  measure  to  the  frost,  its  pursuit  over 
the  open  meadows  is  pleasant  and  exhilarating.  It 
is  often  killed  to  the  number  of  eighty  in  a  day,  and 
is  so  fat  that  its  body  is  absolutely  round. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  straight,  base  orange- 
green  ;  length  of  tarsi  one  inch  and  one-sixteenth  ; 
upper  parts  brownish-black,  edged  with  reddish- 
brown  ;  throat  white ;  fore  part  of  neck  and  upper 
part  of  the  breast  light  brownish-grey,  streaked  with 
dusky  ;  rest  of  lower  parts,  including  the  lower  tail- 
coverts,  white.  Adult  with  the  bill  straight ;  top 
of  the  head  dark-brown,  intermixed  with  black ; 
sides  of  the  head,  neck,  and  a  large  portion  of  the 
breast,  greyish-brown,  streaked  with  dusky;  chin 
white  ;  a  streak  of  dark  brown  before  the  eye,  con- 
tinuing to  the  nostril,  directly  above  a  faint  line  ot 
white;  back  dark-brown;  feathers  margined  with 
white ;  primary  quills  dark-brown — shaft  of  the  first 
white  ;  outer  secondaries  slightly  edged  with  white  ; 
tail-feathers  brown,  margined  with  brownish-white 
— two  middle  feathers  darker,  longest,  and  more 
pointed ;  lower  part  of  the  breast,  abdomen,  and 
sides  of  the  body  and  under  tail-coverts  white ;'  feet 
dull  yellow ;  tibia  bare,  about  half  the  length. 
Female,  the  general  plumage  lighter.  Length  nine 
inches  and  a  half,  wing  five  and  a  quarter.'' — 
Giraud. 


BAY-BIRDS.  285 

Ox-Eye. 

Tringd  Semipalmata,  Wils. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  rather  stout,  broad 
towards  the  point ;  along  the  gap  about  one  inch; 
length  of  tarsi  seven-eighths  of  an  inch;  bill  and 
legs  black  ;  toes  half  webbed.  Adult  with  the  bill 
mender,  about  the  length  of  the  head — dark-green, 
nearly  approaching  to  black  ;  head,  sides,  and  hind- 
part  of  neck  ash-grey,  streaked  with  dusky ;  upper 
parts  blackish-brown,  the  feathers  edged  with 
greyish- white ;  secondary  coverts  tipped  with  white; 
primary  coverts  brownish-black,  as  are  the  feathers 
ou  the  rump ;  upper  tail-coverts  the  same ;  wing- 
quills  dusky,  their  shafts  white ;  tail-feathers  ash- 
grey,  the  inner  webs  of  the  middle  pair  much  darker ; 
over  the  eye  a  while  line ;  lower  parts  white  ;  legs 
black.  Length  six  inches  and  a  half,  wing  four." — 
Oiraud. 

This  and  the  following  variety  are  generally  con- 
founded by  bay-men ;  and  being  too  small  to 
demand  much  consideration,  and  never  shot  un- 
less huddled  together,  so  that  a  large  number 
may  be  bagged,  they  are  called  promiscuously  by  the 
Olid  name  ox-eye.  They  are  fat,  and  almost  as  good 
eating  when  in  pi-ime  order  as  the  reed-bird. 

Ox-Eye. 

Wilson's  Sandpiper. 
Tringd  Prisilla,  Wils. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  along  the  gap  three- 


386  BAY-BIRDS. 

quarters  of  an  inch,  slender  ;  tarsi  three-quarters  of 
an  inch ;  legs  yellowish-green.  Adult  v.'ith  the  bill 
brownish-black ;  upper  part  of  the  breast  grey- 
brown,  mixed  with  white ;  back  and  upper  parts 
black;  the  whole  plumage  above  broadly  edged 
with  bright  bay  and  yellow  ochre  ;  primaries  black 
— ^greater  coverts  the  same,  tipped  with  white ;  tail 
rounded,  the  four  exterior  feathers  on  each  side  dull 
white — the  rest  dark- brown ;  tertials  as  long  as 
the  primaries ;  head  above  dark-brown,  with  paler 
edges ;  over  the  eye  a  streak  of  whitish ;  belly  and 
vent  white.  Length  five  inches  and  a  half,  wing 
three  and  a  half.  With  many  of  our  birds  we  ob- 
serve that  individuals  of  the  same  species  vary  in 
length,  extent,  and  sometimes  differ  slightly  in  their 
bills,  even  with  those  which  have  arrived  at 
maturity. — On  consulting  oi'nithological  works,  we 
notice  that  there  are  no  two  writers  whose 
measurement  is  in  all  cases  alike.  With  specimens 
of  the  Wilson's  sandpiper,  we  find  in  their  pro- 
portions greater  discrepancy  than  in  many  other 
species — and  out  of  these  differences  we  are  inclined 
to  the  opinion  that  two  spurious  species  have  been 
created." —  Giraud. 

Tatleb. 

Q-enus  Tetanus. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  longer  than  the  head, 

straight,  hard  and  slender ;  neck  slender,  and  both  it 

and  body  rather  long ;  wings  long  and  pointed ;  tail 

short  and  rounded ;  legs  long ;  hind-toe  very  small, 


BAY-BIRDS.  287 

and   the  anterior  ones  connected   at   the  base  by 
webs,  the  inner  being  slightly  webbed. 

WlLLET. 

Semipalmated  Tatler. . 
Totanus  Semipalmaius,  Lath. 
Scolopax  Semipalmata,  Wils. 

This  is  a  fine,  lax'ge,  and  beautiful  bird ;  the 
sharply  distinct  white  and  black  of  its  wings  con- 
trasting admirably  with  the  reddish-brown  tints  of 
the  marlin  and  sickle-bills  with  which  it  often 
associates ;  it  stools  well,  flying  steadily,  and  often 
returning  after  the  first,  and  even  second  visit ;  but 
even  when  fat,  it  is  tough  and  ill-flavored.  It  con- 
gregates in  large  flocks,  and  reaches  the  Middle 
States  on  its  southern  journey  in  the  latter  part  of 
August.  Its  cry  is  a  fierce  wild  shriek,  which  is 
rarely,  if  ever,  accurately  imitated  ;  but  it  responds 
to  the  call  of  the  sickle-bill,  and  when  once  headed 
for  the  stools,  rarely  alters  its  course.  In  exposed 
situations  it  is  shy  and  difficult  of  approach,  like 
most  of  the  shore-birds,  which,  although  they  come 
up  so  unsuspiciously  to  the  decoys,  are  wary  of  the 
gunner,  and  rarely  permit  him  to  crawl  within 
range  of  them. 

"  Specific  Character. — Secondaries  and  basal  part 
of  the  primaries  white ;  toes  connected  at  base  by 
broad  membranes.  Adult  with  the  head  and  neck 
brown,  intermixed  with  greyish-white ;  breiret  and 
sides  of  the  body  spotted,  and  waved  with  brown 


^88  BAY-BIRDS. 

on  white  ground;  abdomen  white;  tail-coverts 
white,  barred  with  brown ;  tail  greyish-brown, 
barred  with  darker  brown — the  outer  two  feathers 
lighter ;  rump  brown ;  fore  part  of  the  back  and 
wing-cov^rts  brown,  largely  spotted  with  dull  white ; 
primaries  blackish-brown,  broadly  banded  with 
white ;  secondaries  white.  Length  fifteen  inches 
and  a  half,  wing  eight." — Giraud. 

Yelper. 

Big  Yellow-Legs — Greater  Yellow-Shanks— Tell-  tale  Tatler. 
Toianus  Vociferus^  Wils. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  numerous  of  the  bay- 
birds,  and  among  the  most  highly  prized  for  its 
sport-conferring  properties.  It  stools  well,  although 
occasionally  suspicious,  and  will  often  drop  like  a 
stone  from  the  clouds,  where  it  is  fond  of  flying,  upon 
receiving  a  response  to  its  strong,  clear,  and  easily 
imitated  cry.  It  will  also  frequently  come  within 
shot  in  the  open,  when  the  sportsman  is  unaided  by 
his  decoys.  Its  flight  is  uneven,  being  often  slow 
when  approaching  or  pausing  over  the  stools,  and 
then  exceedingly  rapid  and  irregular  when  alarmed ; 
and  if  there  are  no  stools  to  make  the  Yelper  hesi- 
tate, it  has  a  bobbing  motion,  as  if  searching  for  the 
origin  of  the  call,  that  makes  it  exceedingly  difficult 
to  kill.  Moreover,  it  is  vigorous,  and  will  carry  off 
much  shot,  as  in  fact  is  the  habit  with  all  the  shore- 
birds,  and  is  tough  and  sedgy  on  the  table. 


BAY-BIRDS.  289 

It  does  not  associate  in  largo  flocks,  but  roams 
about  in  parties  of  three  or  four. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  along  the  ridge  two 
and  a  quarter  inches ;  tarsi  two  and  a  half;  legs  yel- 
low. Adult  with  the  bill  black,  at  the  base  bluish; 
upper  part  of  the  head,  loral  space,  checks,  and  neck, 
streaked  with  brownish-black  and  white ;  throat 
white ;  a  white  line  from  the  bill  to  the  eye  ;  a  white 
ring  round  the  eye;  breast  and  abdomen  Avhite, 
spotted  and  barred  with  brownish-black  ;  sides  and 
tail-coverts  the  same ;  lower  surface  of  the  primaries 
light  grey — upper  brownish-black,  the  inner  spotted 
white ;  wing-coverts  and  back  brown,  spotted  with 
white,  and  dusky ;  scapulars  the  same  ;  tail  brown, 
barred  with  white.  Winter  plumage,  the  upper 
parts  lighter — larger  portion  of  the  breast  and  abdo- 
men white ;  sides  of  the  body  barred  with  dusky. 
Length,  fourteen  inches;  wing,  seven  and  a  quar- 
ter."—  Giraud. 

Yellow-Legs. 

Little  Yellow-Legs — ^Yellow-Shanks  Tatler. 

Totanus  Flavipes,  Lath. 

Scohpax  FlavipeSj  Wilson. 

This  bird  in  appearance  is  almost  identical  with 
the  yelper,  except  that  it  is  much  smaller,  not 
being  more  than  half  as  large.  It  has  several  calls, 
consisting  of  one  or  more  flute-like  and  shrill  notes, 
which  are  rather  difficult  to  imitate.  It  is  probably 
the  most  plentiful  of  all  the  bay-snipe,  making  its 
summer  visit  in  July,  and  continuing  to  arrive  till 


290  BAY-BIRDS. 

late  ill  September.  It  collects  in  immense  flocks, 
and  stools  excellently,  but  its  flight  is  irregular  and 
rapid,  and  when  frightened,  it  darts  about  in  a  con- 
fusing way  that  often  baffles  the  sportsman.  When 
wounded  it  will  swim  away,  and,  if  possible,  crawl 
into  the  grass  to  hide. 

Although  a  pleasant  bird  to  shoot,  it  is  unattrac- 
tive on  the  table,  even  when  in  best  condition,  unless 
killed  along  the  fresh  water,  where  it  attains  an 
agreeable  and  delicate  flavor.  Both  it  and  the 
yelper  are  found  in  considerable  numbers  on  the 
marshy  shores  of  the  western  lakes,  where  it  and  the 
other  smaller  bay-birds  are  called,  indiscriminately, 
plover. 

Wonderful  stories  are  told  of  the  number  of  yel- 
low-legs killed  at  one  shot,  and  as  it  is  a  small  bird, 
these  are  probably  not  exaggerated.  By  Wilson 
the  yellow-legs,  the  yelper,  and  willet  are  classed 
among  the  Scolopacidm,  or  snipe,  but  the  other  orni- 
thologists have  erected  a  separate  genus  for  them. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  along  the  ridge  one 
inch  and  three-eighths ;  length  of  tarsi  one  inch  and 
seven-eighths;  legs  yellow.  Adult  with  tlie  bill 
black;  throat  white;  upper  part  of  the  head,  lores, 
cheeks,  hind  part  and  side  parts  of  the  neck,  deep 
brownish-grey,  streaked  with  greyish-white;  eye 
encircled  with  white,  a  band  of  the  same  color  from 
the  bill  to  the  eye ;  fore  neck,  sides  of  the  body,  and 
upper  pare  of  the  breast,  greyish-white,  streaked 
with  greyish-brown;  lower  part  of  the  breast  and 
abdomen  white  ;  lower  tail-coverts  white,  the  outer 


BAY-BIRDS.  291 

feathers  barred  with  brown ;  scapulars  and  fore  part 
of  the  back  brown,  the  feathers  barred  and  spotted 
with  black  and  white  ;  primaries  blackish-brown,  the 
shaft  of  the  outer  brownish- white,  whiter  towards  the 
tip,  the  rest  dark-brown ;  secondaries  margined  with 
white ;  hind  part  of  the  back  brownish-grey ;  tail 
barred  with  greyish-brown,  white  at  the  tip ;  legs, 
feet,  and  toes,  yellow ;  claws  black.  Length,  ten 
inches  and  three-quarters ;  wing,  six.  Young  with 
the  legs  greenish — and  by  those  who  have  not  recog- 
nised it  as  the  young  of  the  year,  I  have  heard  the 
propriety  of  its  name  questioned." — Giraud. 

God  WIT. 

Genus  Limosa. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  very  long,  a  little  re- 
curved from  the  middle,  rather  slender,  and  with  the 
lower  mandible  the  shorter.  Wings  long  and  very 
acute ;  tail  short  and  even ;  legs  long ;  toes  four,  and 
rather  slender,  the  hind  one  being  small  and  the 
middle  toe  the  longest ;  anterior  toes  connected  at 
the  base  by  webs,  the  outer  web  being  much  the 
larger. 

Marliit. 

Great  Marbled   Godwit. 
Limosa  Fedoa^  Linn. 
Scolopax  Jkdoa,  Wils. 
This  is  the  gentlest  and  most  abundant  of  the 


39^  BAY-BIRDS. 

large  birds,  approaching  the  decoys  with  great  con- 
fidence and  returning  again  and  again,  till  frequently 
the  entire  flock  is  killed.  In  color  it  is  a  reddish- 
brown,  lighter  on  the  abdomen,  and  its  flight  is 
steady  and  rather  slow.  Although  better  eating 
than  the  willet,  and  very  rich  and  juicy,  its  flesh 
cannot  be  called  delicate.  The  ring-tailed  niarlin 
or  Hudsonian  Godwit,  Limosa  Hudsonica^  Lath. 
is  a  finer  but  much  scarcer  bird,  and  resembles  some- 
what in  color  the  willet,  but  has  the  marlin  bill, 
which  is  longer  than  that  of  the  last-named  spe- 
cies. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  at  base  yellow,  towards 
the  end  blackisli-brown ;  upper  parts  spotted  and 
barred  with  yellowish-grey  and  brownish-black; 
lower  parts  pale  reddish-brown  ;  tail  darker,  barred 
with  black.  Adult  male  with  the  bill  at  the  base 
yellowish-brown,  towards  the  end  black;  head  and 
neck  greyish-brown,  tinged  with  pale  reddish,  streak- 
ed with  dusky — darker  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
head  and  hind  neck ;  throat  whitish,  lower  parts 
pale  reddish-brown  ;  under  tail-coverts  barred  with 
brown ;  tail  reddish-brown,  barred  with  dusky ;  up- 
j)er  tail-coverts  the  same ;  upper  parts  barred  with 
brownish-black  and  pale  reddish-brown,  spotted  with 
dusky ;  inner  primaries  tipped  with  yellowish-white ; 
scapulai's  and  wing-coverts  barred  with' pale  reddish- 
brown  and  greyish-white ;  shaft  of  the  first  primary 
white,  dusky  at  the  tip;  inner  shafts  at  the  base 
white,  rest  part  light  brown,  excepting  the  tips, 
which  are  dusky.      Length,  sixteen  inches;  wing. 


BAY-BIRDS.  293 

nine  and  a  half.    Female  larger,  exceeding  the  male 
from  three  to  four  inches." —  Giraud. 

Ring-Tailed  Maklin. 

Hudsonian  Godwit. 
Limosa  Hudsonica^  Lath. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  blackish-brown,  at  base 
of  lower  mandible  yellow ;  upper  parts  light  brown, 
marked  with  dull  brown,  and  a  few  small  white  spots ; 
neck  all  around  brownish-grey ;  lower  parts  white, 
largely  marked  with  ferruginous ;  basal  part  of  tail- 
feathers  and  a  band  crossing  the  rump,  white.  Adult 
with  the  bill  slender,  blackish  towards  the  tip,  lighter 
at  the  base,  particularly  at  the  base  of  the  lower 
mandible  ;  a  line  of  brownish-white  from  the  bill  to 
the  eye ;  lower  eyelid  white ;  throat  white,  spotted 
with  rust  color ;  head  and  neck  brownish-grey ; 
lower  parts  white,  marked  with  large  spots  of  ferru- 
ginous ;  under  tail-coverts  barred  with  brownish- 
black,  and  ferruginous ;  tail  brownish-black,  with  a 
white  band  at  the  base ;  a  band  over  the  rump ;  tips 
ojT  primary  coverts  and  bases  of  quills  white ;  upper 
tail-coverts  brownish-black — their  base  white;  upper 
parts  greyish-brown,  scapulars  marked  with  darker ; 
feet  bluish.  Length,  fifteen  inches  and  a  half;  wing, 
eight  and  a  half.  Young  with  the  lower  parts  brown- 
ish-grey, the  ferruginous  markings  wanting." — 
Giraud. 

Snipe. 
Genus  Scohpax,  Linn. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  long,  at  least  twice  the 


294  BAY-BIRDS. 

length  of  the  head;  straight,  tapsriiif^,  anclflatienecl 
towards  the  end  ;  eyes  i-ather  large,  placed  high  in 
the  head,  and  far  back  from  the  hill ;  neck  of  mode- 
rate length,  and  rather  thick;  hody  full;  wings 
rather  long  and  pointed ;  tail  moderate  and  rounded ; 
legs  moderate  ;  toes  slender  and  rather  long,  except 
the  hind  one ;  middle  toe  longest,  and  connected  at 
the  base  with  the  inner  by  a  slight  web,  the  outer 
one  being  free. 

DOWITCHER. 

Dowitch — Brown  Back — Quail-Snipe — Red-Breasted  Snipe. 

Scolopax  Noveboracensis,  Wils. 

This  is  a  beautiful,  excellent,  and  plentiful  bird ;  it 
abounds  in  the  marshes  during  the  entire  summer, 
congregates  in  vast  flocks,  and  although  uttering  a 
faint  call  itself,  is  attracted  to  the  decoys  by  tlie  cry 
of  the  yellow-legs,  or  almost  any  sharp  whistle.  It  is 
remarkably  gentle,  individuals  often  alighting  when 
their  associates  are  slain,  in  spite  of  the  unusual 
uproar ;  and  it  can  be  more  readily  approached  than 
any  of  the  bay-birds.  Its  flesh,  moreover,  is  quite 
delicate,  and  when  fat  somewhat  similar  to  that  of 
the  English  snipe,  which  it  greatly  resembles  in 
appearance.  In  general  color  it  is  brownish,  \vith  a 
light  abdomen,  but  occasionally  the  breast  is  as  red 
as  that  of  a  robin  in  full  plumage.  Its  flight  is 
steady,  although  when  alarmed  it  "  skivers,"  or  darts 
about  rapidly,  and  as  it  flies  in  close  ranks,  it  suffers 
proportionally.     Although  it  is  rather  looked  down 


BAY-BIRDS.  295 

upon  by  persons  who  wish  to  make  a  show  of  largo 
birds,  I  am  always  entirely  satisfied  with  a  good  bag 
of  well-conditioned  dowitchers. 

'''•Specific  Character. — Spring  plumage,  upper 
parts  brownish-black,  variegated  with  light  brown- 
ish-red ;  lower  parts  dull  orange-red,  abdomen  paler, 
spotted  and  barred  with  black;  rump  white;  the 
tail  feathers  and  the  upper  and  lower  tail-coverts, 
alternately  barred  with  white  and  black.  In  autumn 
the  upper  parts  are  brownish-grey ;  the  lower  parts 
greyish-white ;  the  tail  feathers  and  the  upper 
and  lower  tail-coverts  the  same  as  in  spring. 
Adult  with  the  bill  towards  the  end  black,  lighter 
at  the  base ;  top  of  the  head,  back  of  the  neck, 
scapulars,  tertials,  and  fore  part  of  the  back, 
blackish-brown,  variegated  with  ferruginous ;  second- 
aries and  wing-coverts  clove  brown,  the  latter  edged 
with  white,  the  former  tipped  with  the  same; 
hind  part  of  back  white ;  the  rump  marked  with 
roundish  spots  of  blackish-brown  ;  upper  tail-coverts 
dull  white,  barred  with  black ;  tail  feathers  crossed 
with  numerous  black  bands,  their  tips  white ;  loral 
band  dusky,  the  space  between  which  and  the  medial 
band  on  the  fore  part  of  the  head,  greyish- white, 
tinged  with  ferruginous,  and  slightly  touched  with 
dusky;  sides  of  the  head  spotted  with  dark-brown  ; 
lower  parts  dull  orange-red,  the  abdomen  lighter ; 
the  neck  and  fore  part  of  breast  spotted  with  dusky; 
the  sides  of  the  body  Avith  numerous  bars  of  the 
same  color;  logs  and  feet  dull  yellowish-green. 
Young  with  the  lower  parts  paler.    Winter  dress, 


296  BAY-BIRDS. 

the  upper  parts  brownish-grey ;  neck  ash-grey, 
streaked  Avith  dusky ;  lower  parts  greyish-white, 
with  dusky  bars  on  the  sides  of  the  body.  Length, 
ten  inches  and  a  half;  wing,  six." — Giraud. 

CUKLEW. 

Geuus  Numenius,  Briss. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  very  long,  slender,  de- 
curved  or  arched,  with  the  uj^per  mandible  the 
longer,  and  obtuse  at  the  end;  head  rounded  and 
compressed  above;  neck  long,  body  full, wings  long, 
feet  rather  long ;  toes  connected  at  the  base ;  tihid 
bare  a  short  space  above  the  knee ;  legs  rather  long ; 
tail  short  and  rounded. 

Jack  Curlew. 

Short-billed  Curlew.    Hudsonian  Curlew. 
Numenius  Hudsonicus,  Lath. 

This  is  a  graceful  and  elegant  bird,  but  so  shy 
and  so  well  able  to  carry  off  shot,  that  it  is  regarded 
as  the  most  difficult  to  kill  of  all  the  bay-birds.  It 
has  a  long,  rolling  cry,  and  although  it  approaches 
the  decoys,  it  rarely  alights,  or  even  pauses  over 
them ;  but,  detecting  the  deception,  it  turns  off  or 
passes  on  in  its  course.  For  this  reason,  the  fortu- 
nate sportsman  Avho  kills  a  "Jack"  is  eminently 
satisfied,  although  its  llesh  is  not  remarkably  fine. 

"  Specific  Character. — ^Length  of  bill,  three  inches 
and  three-quarters ;  tarsi,  two  inclies ;  lower  parts 


BAY-BIRDS.  397 

white.  Adult  with  the  upper  part  of  the  head  deep 
brown,  with  a  central  and  two  lateral  lines  of 
whitish  ;  a  brown  line  from  the  bill  to  the  eye,  and 
another  behind  the  eye ;  neck  all  round,  pale  yel- 
lowish-grey, longitudinally  streaked  with  brown,  ex- 
cepting the  upper  part  of  the  throat,  which  is  grey- 
ish-white ;  upper  parts  in  general  blackish-brown, 
marked  with  numerous  spots  of  brownish-white, 
there  being  several  along  the  margins  of  each 
feather ;  wings  and  rump  somewhat  lighter ;  upper 
tail-coverts  and  tail  barred  with  dark-brown  and 
olivaceous  grey ;  primaries  and  their  coverts  black- 
ish-brown, all  Avith  transverse  yellowish-grey  mark- 
ings on  the  inner  web ;  the  shaft  of  the  first  quill, 
white — of  the  rest,  brown  ;  breast  and  abdomen 
greyish-white,  the  sides  tinged  with  cream  color, 
and  barred  with  greyish-brown  ;  bill  rather  more 
than  twice  the  length  of  the  head,  of  a  brownish- 
black  color — at  the  base  of  the  lower  mandible,  flesh 
colored.  Length,  eighteen  inches;  wing,  nine  and 
a  half." — Girand. 

Sickle  BILL  Curlew. 

Long-billed  Curlew. 

Numenius  Longirostris,   Wils. 

The  finest,  largest,  most  graceful,  and  elegant  of 
all  the  bay-birds  is  the  magnificent  sickle-bill ;  asso- 
ciating in  large  flocks,  and  with  a  spread  of  wings 
of  little  less  than  three  feet,  when  it  approaclics  the 
stand,  the  sportsman's  heart  palpitates  with  excite- 


298  BAY-BIRDS. 

roent,  and  the  sky  seems  to  have  lost  its  natural 
blue  and  become  of  a  rich  brown  tint.  As  these 
splendid  birds,  shrieking  their  hoarse  call,  set  their 
wings  for  the  stool,  and  crossing  one  another  in  their 
flight,  pause  in  doubt ;  or,  after  alighting  individu- 
ally, rise  again,  and  hesitate  whether  to  remain  or 
continue  their  course — the  sportsman,  cowering  in 
his  lair,  and  anxious  to  take  advantage  of  this  glori- 
ous oppoi'tunity,  becomes  wildly  eager  with  excite- 
ment; and  if,  after  having  by  a  judicious  selection 
brought  several  to  the  ground,  he  recalls  the  de- 
parting flock  which  again  presents  itself  to  his  aim, 
his  rapture  knows  no  bounds,  and  with  his  reloaded 
breech-loader,  he  repeats,  perhaps  more  than  once, 
the  exhilarating  performance. 

This  lordly  bird,  the  largest  of  the  bay-snipe,  is 
often  extremely  gentle,  and  may  be  lured  by  the 
imitation  of  its  cry  at  an  immenss  distance,  and 
brought  back  to  the  decoys  several  times,  where  one 
or  more  of  its  companions  may  have  fallen ;  but  at 
other  times  it  is  wild  and  shy.  Individuals  diff*er 
considerably  in  size,  the  largest  I  ever  saw  having  a 
bill  eleven  inches  long,  and  some  weighing  nearly 
double  as  much  as  others ;  but  all  are  of  a  beautiful 
reddish-brown  or  burnt  sienna  tint,  with  a  yellowish 
shade  on  the  abdomen.  Their  flight  is  steady,  and 
their  flesh  tough,  dark,  and  oily.  Their  eye  is  ex- 
tremely bright,  and  their  shape  graceful. 

"  Specific  Character. — Bill  towards  the  end  de- 
curved  ;  upper  part  of  the  throat,  and  a  band  from 
the  bill  to  the  eye,  light  buff;  general  plumage, 


BAY-BIRDS.  299 

p:ilo  reddish-brown;  head  and  neck  streaked  with 
dusky ;  upper  parts  mai'ked  with  blackish-brown ; 
tail  barred  with  the  same ;  abdomen,  plain  reddish- 
brown  ;  feet,  bluish.  Length,  twenty-six  inches; 
wing,  eleven.  The  bill  of  the  specimen  from  which 
this  description  is  taken  measures  eight  inches. 
The  bills  of  individuals  of  this  species  vary,  but  the 
length  is  at  all  times  sufficient  to  determine  the 
species." —  Giraud. 

FUTE. 

Do3-bird. — Esquimaux  Curlew. 
Nuviaiiui  Boredlis,  Lath. 

This  is  an  upland  bird,  quite  rare,  but  large,  and 
rather  delicate  eating. 

"  Sjjecfjic  Character. — Bill,  along  the  gap,  about 
two  inches  and  a  quarter;  tarsi,  one  inch  and  five- 
eighths  ;  upper  parts,  dusky  brown,  with  pale  yel- 
lowish-white, marked  all  over  with  pale  reddish- 
brown.  Adult  with  a  line  of  white  from  the  bill  to 
the  eye;  eyelids,  white;  upper  part  of  the  head 
dusky,  spotted  in  front  with  greyish-white,  a  medial 
band  of  the  same  color ;  throat,  white ;  neck  and 
breast  yellowish-grey,  with  longitudinal  mai'ks  of 
dusky  on  the  former,  pointed  spots  of  the  same  color 
on  the  latter ;  abdomen,  dull  yellowish-white;  flanks, 
barred  with  brown  ;  lower  tail  coverts  the  same  as 
the  abdomen ;  tail  and  upper  tail  coverts  barred 
with  pale  reddish-brown  and  dusky,  tipped  with 
yellowish-white ;  upper  parts  brownish,  the  fcathera 


300 


BAY-BIRDS. 


tipped  with  pale  reddish-brown,  the  scapulars  mar- 
gined and  tipped  with  lighter;  primaries,  dark- 
brown,  margined  internally  with  lighter — the  first 
shaft  white,  with  the  lip  dusky — the  rest  brown. 
Length,  fourteen  inches  and  a  half;  wing,  eight." — 
Giraud. 


CHAPTER  YI. 

MOXTAUK  POINT. 

The  eastern  end  of  Long  Island,  that  extremity 
which  seems  to  stretch  out  like  the  hand  of  welcome 
towards  the  nations  of  the  old  world,  beckoning 
their  inhabitants  to  our  hospitable  shores,  is  divided 
into  two  long  points  like  the  tines  of  a  fork.  The 
upper  point  shuts  in  Long  Island  Sound,  and  protects 
our  inland  commerce  from  the  violence  of  the  "Great 
Deep;"  while  the  lower  prong,  wliich  is  kissed  on 
the  one  side  by  the  blue  waters  of  the  Peconic  Bay, 
and  on  the  other  is  buffeted  by  the  billows  of  the 
great  Atlantic,  is  known  as  Montauk  Point.  The 
heaving  ocean  seems  hore  to  have  solidified  itself 
into  a  sandy  soil,  which  rises  and  swells  and  rolls, 
much  after  the  manner  of  its  mighty  prototype, 
except  that  a  scanty  garment  of  tawny  grass  clothes 
the  outlines  of  the  billowy  waste.  "  Cattle  on  a 
thousand  hills  "  here  roam  in  a  state  of,  at  least, 
semi-indoiDcndence,  which  they  occasionally  assert 
by  charging  upon  the  intruding  sportsman  in  a 
manner  which  may  be  intended  as  playful,  but 
which  looks  somewhat  serious.  For  a  dozen  miles 
or  so  only  a  few  houses  break  the  monotony  of  the 
dreary  expanse,  and  it  is  to  one  of  these,  distant 


302  MONTAUK  POINT. 

some  nine  miles  from  the  extreme  point,  that  I  am 
about  to  carry  the  reader,  for  here  alone  can  plover- 
shooting  be  enjoyed  in  its  fullest  perfection. 

There  are  numerous  kinds  of  plover  that  make 
their  migratory  passages  along  our  coasts ;  but  the 
one  to  which  I  refer,  while  to  the  epicure  it  ranks 
almost,  if  not  absolutely,  the  first  upon  the  list,  and 
affords,  by  the  swiftness  of  its  flight  and  the  eccen- 
tricity of  its  habits,  a  ]>rize  not  unworthy  of  the 
highest  efforts  of  the  sportsman,  has  been  the  victim 
of  many  a  misnomer,  but  is  correctly  known  by  the 
appellation  Ameiicau  Golden  Plover,  Characlrius 
pluvialis  (P.).  The  Plover-family  is  large  and  of  high 
respectability ;  but,  when  "  upon  his  native  heath," 
no  one  of  its  clans  is  entitled  to  wear  a  loftier  crest 
than  that  which  we  now  have  under  discussion. 
His  near  relative,  the  Bartramian  Sandpiper  or 
Grey  Plover,  is  perhaps  more  aristocratically  delicate 
in  his  figui'e,  and  is  welcomed  as  heartily  at  the 
table  of  the  epicure.  But  he  is  less  social  in  his 
habits,  and  rarely  affords  any  but  single  shots.  He 
docs  not  fraternize  with  wooden  counterfeits,  and 
his  mellow  whistle,  as  he  rises  at  an  impracticable 
distance,  rarely  responds  to  even  the  most  seductive 
efforts  of  his  pui'suer.  But  our  Golden  fiiend, 
notwithstanding  his  auriferous  title,  his  superior 
beauty  of  plumage,  his  swiftness  and  strength,  and 
the  savory  reputation  which  he  enjoys  among  the 
knowing-ones,  is  possessed  of  gregavious  habits,  of 
a  singulai-ly  frank  and  unsuspicious  nature,  and  is 
generally  ready  to  stop  and  have  a  chat  with  any- 


MONTAUK  POINT.  303 

tiling  Avhich  bears  the  faintest  resemblance  to  a  bird 
and  a  brother.  It  is  well  for  his  admirers  that  such 
is  his  nature ;  and  although  the  wide  appreciation 
of  his  merits  certainly  causes  great  destruction  among 
his  ranks,  still  the  vast  flocks  which,  sometimes  for 
days  togeiaer,  fly  past,  within  sight  of  the  stands, 
unshot  at,  seem  to  warrant  the  hope  that  the  hour 
of  the  final  extinction  of  his  race  is  very  far  distant. 

Taking  the  Long  Island  railroad  to  Greenport  in 
the  early  part  of  September,  and  having  encountered 
and  overcome  the  ordinary  delay  and  difficulty  of 
obtaining  a  sailboat  to  further  prosecute  our  voyage, 
we  find  ourselves  at  last  gliding  on  the  waves  of  the 
beautiful  bay,  past  Shelter  and  Gardiner's  islands, 
and  approacliing  the  long  low  line  of  the  Nepeague 
beach.  With  a  favorable  breeze  we  may  expect  to 
be  landed  on  the  smooth  sand  in  a  little  cove,  about 
one  mile  from  our  destination,  in  two  hours  from 
our  time  of  dei)arture ;  but  if  the  wind  is  adverse 
and  the  fates  unpropitious,we  may  have  to  follow  the 
path  from  the  shore  in  the  dark,  which  will  require 
our  best  instincts,  aided  by  the  guidance  of  the  dis- 
tant booming  of  the  surf,  and  the  assistance  of  our 
especial  guardian  angel. 

Once  there,  however,  and  we  will  be  repaid  for 
our  sufferings;  we  may  find  a  table  covered  with 
"  South-side  "  delicacies,  and  bearing  in  the  centre 
a  huge  dish  of  beautiful,  odorous,  melting  plover, 
cooked  to  a  turn,  and  we  will  undoubtedly  meet 
kindred  spirits  and  generous  sportsmen  who  are  on 
the  same  errand  as  ourselves.     As  we  dispose  of  the 


304  MONTAUK  POINT. 

former,  the  latter  will  pour  into  our  sympathetic 
ears  wonderful  accounts  of  their  sport,  and  rival  one 
another  in  recounting  the  long  shots  and  the  good 
shots  they  have  made,  the  numbers  of  birds  they 
have  killed,  and  the  pounds  of  bass  they  have  caught. 

Under  the  influences  of  a  delicious  supper  and 
moderate  "  nightcap,"  Ave  seek  our  couch  with  fond 
visions  of  the  great  flocks,  and  hopeful  dreams  that 
we  will  do  as  well  on  the  morrow.  At  earliest  dawn 
we  spring  from  our  bed,  and  rushing  to  the  primitive 
little  casement  have  only  time  to  rejoice  in  the  pro- 
mise of  a  fine  day,  ere  we  note  the  welcome  cry  of 
our  noble  prey  hurrying  westward  over  the  boach. 

To  don  our  shooting  costume,  to  grasp  our  gun 
and  ammunition,  to  load  ourselves  with  the  basket 
containing  decoys  and  incidentals,  and  to  emerge 
into  the  cool  air  of  the  September  morning,  require 
but  a  few  minutes  ;  we  hasten  across  the  sandy  hil- 
locks to  our  appointed  spot,  marked  by  a  hollow 
scooped  out  for  the  concealment  of  former  visitants, 
and  by  the  quantity  of  feathers  and  cigar-stumps 
lying  loosely  around ;  and  with  hands  trembling 
with  impatience,  we  distribute  i,he  stools  in  what 
seems  to  us  to  be  the  most  artistic  and  seductive 
manner, — for  the  birds  are  now  beginning  to  fly 
just  within  a  tantalizing  yet  impracticable  range,  and 
we  long  for  action. 

How  wild,  how  glorious  is  the  hour  and  the  scone  I 
The  heavy  boom  of  the  ocean,  which  rolls  almost  at 
our  feet,  is  relieved  by  the  soft,  mellow  notes  of  the 
sea-birds  which  float  through  the  air  in  varied  yet 


MONTAUK  POINT.  305 

hannonious  cadence,  and  by  the  low  of  distant  cattle, 
just  shaking  off  their  slothful  dreams.  Hardly  have 
we  disposed  our  body  to  the  requisite  flatness,  when 
a  chattering  chorus  of  melody  makes  our  heart  leap 
with  eagerness,  and  our  eyes  strain  with  impatience 
to  discern  its  source.  Aha,  we  have  them  now! 
that  small,  erratic  cloud  to  the  eastward,  beaiing 
directly  before  the  wind  towards  our  covert,  sends 
a  thrill  through  our  being,  whicli  the  whole  "  spa- 
cious firmament  on  high,"  even  on  the  loveliest  of 
nights,  has,  we  honestly  confess  it,  never  succeeded 
in  imparting.  On  they  come,  nearer,  nearer,  nearer. 
"W^  pucker  up  our  lips  to  greet  their  approach,  but 
the  saucy  gale  renders  our  rude  efforts  futile,  and 
we  commit  our  trust  to  Providence  and  our  painted 
counterfeits.  Now  they  are  within  easy  range,  but 
somewhat  scattei'ed ;  with  a  violent  effort  at  self- 
command,  worthy  of  a  higher  cause,  we  remain  mo- 
tionless, for  there  are  evident  indications  of  a  social 
spirit  in  that  joyous  group.  They  pause,  they 
swerve,  they  wheel  upon  their  tracks,  and  with 
motionless  wings  and  a  sweet  low-murmured  greet- 
ing, they  approach  the  fatal  stools.  How  rash  the 
confidence !  How  foul  the  treachery !  But,  we 
must  also  confess,  how  intense  the  excitement,  as 
we  pull  the  right  trigger  at  the  critical  moment,  and 
then,  as  the  deluded  victims  scatter  wildly,  with  an 
outburst  of  appeal  against  man's  cruelty,  give  them 
the  left  barrel,  and  add  three  more  to  the  list  of 
feathered  martyrs.  With  lightning  speed,  their 
thinned  ranks  vanish  beyond  the  neighboring  sand- 


306  MOXTAUK  POINT. 

hills,  and  reloading  our  gun,  we  liasten  to  gather  up 
the  slain. 

Six  with  the  right  and  three  with  the  left  barrel, 
are  pretty  well  for  a  beginning  ;  but  we  had  better 
have  remained  at  our  post,  for  while  we  are  chasing 
up  one  of  the  wounded  birds,  two  more  flocks  pass 
within  easy  range  of  our  hiding-place.  Hurriedly 
twisting  the  neck  of  the  fugitive,  we  resume  our 
lonely  watch,  and  before  the  breakfast-hour  of  eight, 
which  our  unwontedly  early  exertions  have  made  a 
somewhat  serious  epoch,  we  have  had  two  more 
double  shots,  and  increased  our  score  to  twenty-one. 
Beautiful,  "  beautiful  exceedingly"  is  the  burden  of 
game  which  Ave  proudly  carry  back  to  our  inn,  leav- 
ing our  stools  as  they  stand. 

A  hearty  breakfast  makes  us  feel  like  a  new  man^ 
and,  after  a  fair  discussion  of  its  merits,  lighting  our 
pipe,  we  again  wend  our  way  to  the  scene  of  our 
triumph.  The  cry  is  still  they  come ;  flock  after 
flock  presents  its  compliments,  and  leaves  memen- 
toes of  its  presence ;  but  towards  noon  the  hot  sun 
disposes  the  birds  to  listless  inactivity,  the  flight 
diminishes,  and  finally  stops.  Returning  to  the  house 
with  a  bag  larger  by  only  three  birds  than  that  of 
the  morning,  we  kill  the  hours  before  dinner  by  a 
few  casts  into  the  breakers,  and  Land  a  ten-pound 
bass. 

With  sharpened  appetite,  we  welcome  the  savory 
dinner,  and  are  quite  contented  to  rest  and  let  our 
prey  rest  till  five  o'clock,  Avhen  fifteen  more  birds 
reward  our  post-prandial  exeiiions,  and  make  up  a 


MONTAUK  POINT.  307 

total  for  the  day  of  sixty  plover  and  one  bass.  We 
sink  to  sleep  that  night  with  the  proud  conscious- 
ness that  our  first  day's  plover-shooting  has  been  a 
great  success;  our  iieart  prays  silently  for  a  con- 
tinuance of  our  good  fortune,  and  we  indulge  in 
sweet  thoughts  of  home,  and  the  pleasure  our  return 
laden  with  spoils  will  cause,  when  our  friends  greet 
us  and  them  at  the  social  board. 

The  next  day  is  as  delightful ;  the  sweet,  thrilling 
music  again  fills  the  air  at  short  intervals ;  again  our 
trusty  breech-loader  sends  its  charge  into  the  thick- 
-  est  of  the  "  brown,"  or  cuts  down  the  straggler  look- 
ing for  "  former  companions  all  vanished  and  gone." 
Again  we  call  the  swift-travelling  flock  from  the 
very  zenith,  or  whistle  our  lips  into  a  blister,  endea- 
voring to  attract  the  wary  knowing  ones  that  pause 
to  look,  only  to  flee  the  faster ;  and  the  night  finds 
us  with  a  still  larger  bag,  but  without  a  bass.  So 
eager  have  Ave  become,  so  fearful  that  we  should  lose 
a  shot,  and  judging  by  the  accumulating  clouds  in 
the  east  that  on  the  morrow  it  may  storm,  that  we 
stay  out  all  day,  except  the  necessary  moments  for 
our  meals,  and  give  no  thought  to  the  monsters  of 
the  deep. 

Nor  Avere  we  mistaken  ;  the  morrow  comes,  the 
gathering  storm  has  broken,  and  no  creature  of 
mortal  mould  can  face  its  fury — at  least  no  bird, 
Avith  any  pretensions  to  common  sense  or  respecta- 
bility, Avould  imperil  his  plumes  by  an  unnecessaiy 
exposure  to  such  an  ordeal.  So  with  forced  patience, 
we  get  through  the  live-long  day  as  best  Ave  can ; 


308  MONTAUK  POINT. 

and  on  the  following  day,  hail  a  sky  as  cloudless  as 
the  most  ardent  sportsman  could  desire.  But  alas! 
the  fliglit  has  gone  by,  scared  away  perhaps  by  the 
storm,  or  retreating  before  the  advancing  full ;  and 
when  we  take  our  seat  at  the  breakfast-tnble,  we 
are  obliged  to  admit  that  only  nine  birds  have  fallen 
to  our  gun. 

But  the  irrepressible  and  inextinguishable  host 
rises  triumphant  in  this  emergency.  He  boldly  sug- 
gests that  there  must  he  some  sluggards,  who  have 
tarried,  spell-bound  by  the  attractions  of  such  a  ter- 
restrial, 01",  rather  ornithological,  paradise ;  and 
accordingly,  he  hitches  %ip  a  venerable  specimen  of 
the  genus  '•^  Equus^''  and  we  start  for  an  excursion 
"  over  the  hills  and  far  away."  Before  we  have  ad- 
vanced a  couple  of  miles  we  have  bagged  a  half 
dozen  solitary  specimens  of  Bartram's  Sandpiper  or 
Grey  Plover,  so  dear  to  the  sportsman  and  the 
gourmand,  but  have  seen  no  trace  of  the  object  of 
our  pursuit.  When,  suddenly,  as  we  surmount  one 
of  the  swelling  eminences  which  are  the  prevailing 
feature  of  this  district  of  country,  we  come  upon  a 
sight  such  as,  perhaps,  but  few  sportsmen  have  ever 
beheld,  A  gentle  hollow  spreads  before  us,  for 
several  acres,  literally  covered  with  the  ranks  of  the 
much-desired,  the  matcliless  Golden  Plover. 

As  they  stand  in  serried  legions,  the  white  mark 
on  their  heads  gives  a  strange  chequered  weirdness 
to  the  phalanx:  and  we  involuntarily  pause,  spell- 
bound by  the  novelty  of  the  spectacle.  Our  host 
himself,  though  an  old  hand,  owns  that  he  has  never 


MONTAUK  POINT.  309 

before  gazed  on  such  a  sight.  There  they  stand 
with  heads  erect,  and  bodies  motionless,  just  out  of 
gunshot.  Their  number  is  computed  by  our  com- 
panion to  be  not  less  than  three  thousand,  closely 
packed,  and  apparently  awaiting  our  onset.  What 
is  to  be  done  ?  Delay  may  be  fatal,  but  precipi- 
tancy w^ould  be  equally  so:  and  our  pulses  stop 
beating  under  the  stress  of  the  emergency.  Our 
horse  also  stops,  obedient  to  an  involuntary  pull  of 
the  reins.  We  accept  the  omen,  and  cautiously  de- 
scend from  our  Aehicle ;  warily  crawling  to  'svithin 
seventy  yards,  we  halt  as  Ave  see  unmistakable  evi- 
dences of  uneasiness  and  suspicion  among  the 
crowded  ranks.  They  stoop,  they  run,  they  rise 
with  "  a  sounding  roar,"  to  which  the  united  report 
of  our  four  barrels  savagely  responds.  Away,  away 
with  headlong  speed,  scatters  and  dissolves  that 
multitudinous  host,  and  we  hasten  to  secure  our 
spoils. 

But,  seventy  yards  make  a  long  range  for  plover- 
shooting,  and  we  are  somewhat  chagrined  to  find 
that  only  six  dead  and  seven  w'ounded  birds  remain 
as  proofs  of  the  accuracy  of  our  aim,  and  the  effi- 
ciency of  our  weapons.  Hurriedly  we  plant  our 
stools,  hoping  for  the  return  of  at  least  a  consider- 
able portion  of  the  vanished  forces ;  but  they  have 
apparently  had  enough  of  our  society,  and,  after 
two  hours  spent  in  ambush,  with  only  an  occasional 
shot  at  single  stragglers  or  small  flocks,  we  wend 
our  way  back  to  the  house. 

On  the  morrow  we  kill  a  dozen  birds  over  the 


310  MONT  AUK  POINT. 

stools,  before  breakfast,  among  which  are  two  spe- 
cimens of  the  beautiful  Esquimaux  Curlew  or  Fute, 
as  he  is  commonly  called,  and  which  seems  to  be  on 
terms  of  the  closest  intimacy  with  our  Golden  friend. 
We  find  him  to  be  a  heavier  bird,  equally  inclined 
to  obesity,  and,  as  future  experiments  satisfy  us, 
nearly  as  perfect  in  delicate  richness  of  flavor. 

At  nine  o'clock  Dobbin  is  again  harnessed,  and 
we  start  for  the  scene  of  yesterday's  exploit.  But 
the  sighing  wind  now  sweeps  over  only  a  deserted 
moor,  and  we  direct  our  course  in  a  direction 
to  make  an  inspection  of  Great  Pond.  Here,  by 
good  luck  and  management,  we  bag  five  teal  and  a 
black  duck,  as  well  as  three  passing  plover.  A  few 
large  flocks  of  the  latter  are  seen,  but  they  are  wary 
and  unapproachable;  and  afier  several  fruitless  ef- 
forts, we  abandon  their  pursuit  and  start  for  dinner. 

Having  rendered  full  justice  to  the  merits  of  a 
bountiful  repast,  which,  if  it  is  made  prominent  in 
this  account,  was  still  more  prominent  in  our  hungry 
thoughts,  we  stroll  to  the  ocean-side  and  make  a 
dozen  casts  for  bass,  but  our  luck  seems  to  be  on  the 
turn  and  we  decide  to  leave  on  the  morrow  for 
Greenport.  About  an  hour  before  sunset,  a  few 
birds  are  on  the  wing,  and  we  again  seek  the  field 
of  our  first  success.  Here  we  make  our  final  efibrt, 
and  are  rewai'ded  with  five  noble  victims,  killed  singly 
at  long  shots,  and  we  restore  our  breech-loader  to 
its  case.  We  have  no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  Avith 
our  four-days'  sport,  and  it  is  with  a  certain  reluc- 
tance, and  a  sincere  resolve  to  renew  our  visit  at  an 


MONTAUK  POINT.  311 

early  date,  that  we  pack  ourvalise  in  anticipation  of 
a  start  on  the  morrow. 

Our  team  is  at  the  door ;  we  bid  adieu  to  some 
ladies  of  the  household  (of  whom  while  writing 
these  lines  we  have  thought  much,  though  we  have, 
until  now,  said  nothing),  and,  mounting  by  our  host's 
side,  we  trot  merrily  over  the  hills,  till  we  reach  the 
deep  sandy  desert  of  the  Nepeague  beach.  "A 
long  pull,  and  a  strong  pull "  for  an  hour,  brings  us 
to  "terra  firma"  again,  and  rattling  through  the 
quaint  old  town  of  Easthampton,  after  a  charming 
drive,  we  reach  Sag  Harbor,  where  a  most  absurdly 
diminutive  steamer,  of  just  seven-horse  power,  awaits 
to  convey  us  to  Greenport.  We  part  from  our  host 
with  sincere  gratitude  for  the  genial  kindness  which 
he  has  shown  to  us  during  our  visit,  and  step  on  the 
narrow  deck  of  the  tiny  craft.  A  voyage  of  thirteen 
miles,  made  under  a  full  head  of  steam  in  just  two 
hours  and  a  quarter,  brings  us  once  more  to  the 
beautiful  village  of  Greenport,  where  the  cars  are 
awaiting  us. 

We  return  with  a  bag  full  of  game,  and  the  follow- 
ing general  conclusions  and  precepts  impressed  upon 
our  mind :  In  plover  shooting  use  No.  6  shot  in  the 
left  barrel,  for  the  birds  are  of  wonderful  strength 
and  require  to  be  hit  hard,  or  they  will  fly  an  immense 
distance  even  if  "  sick  unto  death,"  and  if  crippled, 
will  sneak,  and  hide,  and  run,  and  cause  much  loss 
of  time  that  is  precious  indeed.  Do  not  fire  too 
soon  ;  as  the  flock  Avill  generally  "  double  "  if  allowed 
sufficient  time,  and  then  is  the  chance  to  "  rake  'em 


312  MONTAUK  POINT. 

down."    Be  patient,  keep  cool,  aim  ahead  of  the 
birds,  and  keep  wide  awake. 

On  almost  any  day,  from  the  25th  of  August  to 
the  10th  of  September,  there  are  sport  and  pleasure 
.  to  be  had  among  the  wild  sand-hills  of  Montauk ; 
and  if  there  has  been  a  north-easterly  storm,  with 
pitchforks  full  of  rain  and  caps  full  of  wind,  there 
Avill  be  such  an  abundance  of  birds  as  only  experience 
can  conceive  of  or  appreciate.  That  is  an  event 
that  most  of  us  have  yet  to  wait  for.  Reader,  I 
wish  I  were  sufficiently  unselfish  to  say  honestly — 
may  you  enjoy  it  first. 

Since  I  first  went  to  Montauk,  when  large  and  jolly 
parties  of  sportsmen  congregated  every  fall  at  Les- 
ter's and  Stratton's,  some  changes  have  taken  place. 
The  plover  have  diminished  until  the  chance  of 
sport  is  uncertain,  although  occasional  good  days 
are  had;  and  there  is  a  probability  that  the  railroad 
will  intrude  on  its  "everlasting  hills,"  and  that 
fashionable  watering  places  will  replace  the  old-time 
sporting  hotels.  Then  bid  farewell,  a  long  fare- 
well, to  all  the  shooting. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

RAIL    SHOOTING. 

Success  in  this  delightful  sport  depends  as  much 
upon  the  proper  accessories,  together  with  experi- 
ence in  minor  matters,  as  in  the  great  art  of  pro- 
perly handling  the  gun.  The  best  shot,  badly 
equipped,  will  be  surpassed  by  an  inferior  marks- 
man accustomed  to  the  business,  and  thoroughly 
fitted  out  for  it.  The  shooting  is  done  anions:  his^h 
reeds,  and  from  small,  light,  and  unstable  skiffs, 
which  are  poled  over  muddy  shallows  with  an  un- 
steady motion  that  puts  an  end  to  skill  which  is  not 
founded  on  long  practice.  The  sport  lasts  only  during 
the  few  hours  of  high  water,  when  the  entire  day's 
bag  must  be  made,  and  requires,  after  the  bird  has 
been  killed,  a  sharp  eye  to  retrieve  him  amid  the 
weeds  and  floating  grass. 

The  number  bagged,  however,  is  sometimes  pro- 
digious ;  and  although  we  rarely  now  hear  of  hun- 
dreds killed  "  in  a  tide,"  as  was  formerly  not  unusual, 
the  shots  are  still  frequently  rapid,  and  the  result 
satisfactory.  The  bird  rises  heavily,  its  long  legs 
hanging  down  behind;  flying  slowly,  it  presents  an 
easy  mark  to  any  one  upon  teiTa  firma,  and  if  not  shot 
at,  will  alight  after  proceeding  thirty  or  forty  yards. 

It  comes  on  from  the  north  during  the  early  part 


314  RAfL-SHOOTING. 

of  Septembei",  and  disappears  so  instautaneously 
with  the  first  heavy  frost,  that  our  superstitious 
baymeti  imagine  it  retires  into  the  mud.  It  can, 
however,  fly  strongly,  as  I  have  occasionally  had 
unpleasant  evidence  under  peculiar  circumstances, 
and  in  wild,  windy  weather.  During  low  water, 
when  it  can  run  upon  the  muddy  bottom  among  the 
thick  stalks,  which  it  does  rapidly,  it  can  hardly  be 
flushed  by  any  but  the  strongest  and  toughest  dog, 
and  is  not  frequently  pursued  ;  although  many  per- 
sons enjoy  the  hard  walking  and  exposure  of  this 
plan,  preferring  to  tramp  over  the  quaking  surface 
of  our  broad  salt  meadows,  and  flushing  the  rail 
from  amid  some  tuft  of  reeds,  kill  him  with  the  aid 
of  their  loved  fellow-playmate,  a  high-strung  setter 
or  untiring  water  spaniel. 

As  the  tide  rises,  however,  and  covers  the  bottom 
with  a  few  inches  of  water,  the  rail,  caught  feeding 
among  its  favorite  wild  oats,  or  on  the  grains  of  the 
high  reeds,  and  alarmed  at  the  advancing  boat,  is 
forced  to  take  wing  and  present  an  easy  mark  to  its 
destroyer.  But  if  missed,  although  marked  down 
to  an  inch,  it  rarely  rises  a  second  time,  having  pro- 
bably escaped  by  swimming — a  thorough  knowledge 
of  which  is  among  its  numerous  accomplishments. 
The  rail  has  a  long,  thin,  and  soft  body,  which  it 
appears  to  have  the  faculty  of  compressing;  as  it  can 
glide  amid  the  thick  stems  of  reeds  and  grass  with 
wonderful  rapidity ;  and  if  wounded,  it  will  dive 
and  swim  imder  water,  leaving  its  bill  only  project- 
ing, so  as  to  bid  defiance  to  pursuit. 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  315 

The  first  necessity  of  equipment  for  this  sport  is 
a  breech-loading  gun,  which  not  only  enables  the 
sportsman  to  kill  double  the  number  of  birds,  but 
will  occasionally  give  him  the  benefit,  by  a  rapid 
change  in  the  charge,  of  a  favorable  presentation  of 
a  chance  flock  of  ducks.  But  as  many  persons,  out 
of  a  want  of  knowledge  or  of  funds,  still  cling  to 
the  old  muzzle-loader,  it  may  be  well  briefly  to  men- 
tion the  articles  that  tend  to  modify  its  inferiority. 

Of  course,  as  the  shooting  occupies  but  a  few 
hours,  and  in  good  days  the  birds  are  perpetually  on 
the  wing,  it  is  essential  to  load  rapidly  ;  and  to  do 
this  the  sportsman  places  on  a  thwart  before  him  a 
tin  box  divided  into  compartments  for  powder,  shot, 
caps,  and  wads,  or,  as  I  prefer,  two  boxes,  one  filled 
with  powder  and  the  other  with  the  other  materials. 
For  many  reasons  there  should  be  a  lid  over  the 
powder — to  prevent  its  being  ignited  by  a  chance 
spark  or  blown  away  by  a  strong  wind — and  the 
ordinary  flask  is  frequently  used  in  spite  of  the  con- 
sequent delay.  A  double  scoop,  made  of  tin  or 
brass,  and  regulated  to  the  precise  load,  is  placed 
among  the  powder  and  the  shot,  and  a  solid  loading 
stick  lies  near  at  hand. 

By  these  means  the  rapidity  of  loading  is  more 
than  doubled;  the  powder  is  dropped  into  both  bar 
rels  at  once  by  means  of  the  double  scoop,  wads  are 
driven  home  by  a  single  blow  of  the  rod,  both  bar- 
rels are  charged  with  shot  at  once  in  the  same  man- 
ner, the  caps  are  within  easy  reach,  and  the  gun  is 
loaded  in  less  than  half  the  time  consumed  in  the 


316  BAIL-SHOOTING. 

ordinary  process.  The  shot  may  be  made  into  car- 
tridges of  paper  with  a  wad  at  the  upper  end,  and 
thus  a  few  additional  of  the  precious  seconds  saved. 
Both  barrels  are  discharged  before  either  is  reloaded, 
and  the  birds  are  retrieved  immediately. 

The  sportsman  stands  erect,  without  any  support 
to  modify  the  unsteadiness  consequent  upon  the 
irregular  motion  of  the  boat,  and  requires  practice, 
not  merely  to  enable  him  to  take  aim,  but  even  to 
retain  his  footing.  Where  the  water  is  low  and  the 
reeds  strong,  this  difficulty  is  augmented,  as  the  boat 
entirely  loses  its  Avay  after  every  push,  and  advances 
by  jerks  that  utterly  confound  a  novice.  Experi- 
ence, however,  being  acquired  in  loading  rapidly 
and  in  retaining  his  balance,  the  sportsman's  labors 
are  easy;  but  the  punter  requires  many  different 
qualities,  and  upon  his  excellence  mainly  depends 
the  final  result. 

He  must  possess  judgment  to  select  the  best 
ground,  strength  to  urge  on  the  boat  imflaggingly, 
and  an  inordinate  development  of  the  bump  of  locality 
to  mark  the  dead  birds.  The  bird  once  killed  and 
the  sportsman  part  ended,  then  the  punter  displays 
his  ability ;  and  if  thoroughly  versed  in  his  craft 
will  push  the  boat  through  tall  reeds,  and  matted 
weeds,  and  fallen  oat-stalks,  and  drifted  grass,  with 
wonderful  accuracy  to  the  very  spot,  and  peering 
down  amid  the  roots,  will  distinguish  the  brown 
feathers  almost  covered  with  water  and  hidden  by 
the  vegetable  growth. 

In  o)der  to  retrieve  quickly,  a  wide-meshed  scap- 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  317 

net  is  a  great  convenience ;  but  to  mark  well,  a  man 
must  be  endowed  by  nature  with  that  peculiar  gift. 
Ainonij  the  vast  mass  of  undistiniruishable  marine 
plants  that  spring  from  the  muddy  bottom  and  rise  a 
few  inches  or  many  feet  above  the  surface,  it  would 
seem  impossible  to  determine,  within  an  approach  to 
accuracy,  where  some  bird,  visible  only  for  a  moment 
and  cut  down  when  just  topping  the  reeds,  has 
fallen  ;  and  when  another  bird  rises  to  meet  the  same 
fate,  and  perhaps  a  dozen  are  down  before  the  first 
is  retrieved,  successful  marking  becomes  a  miracle. 
With  some  punters  on  the  Delaware,  where  their 
names  are  famous,  so  wonderful  is  the  precision  that 
every  bird,  if  killed  outright,  will  be  recovered,  and 
even  a  poor  marksman  will  make  a  respectable  return; 
but  when  the  gentleman  shoots  badly  and  the  man 
marks  worse,  rail-shooting  is  unprofitable. 

For  this  sport,  thus  followed,  it  will  be  seen  that 
a  punter  is  indispensable,  and  it  is  made  the  business 
of  a  large  class  of  men  along  the  salt  marshes  where 
the  rail  most  do  congregate ;  and  wherever  a  punter 
cannot  be  obtained,  as  in  the  wilder  portions  of  our 
country,  rail-shooting  cannot  be  had. 

From  the  necessity  for  rapid  filing,  the  immense 
advantage  of  a  breech-loader  must  be  apparent ;  the 
tide  rarely  serves  for  over  two  or  three  hours,  and 
to  kill  more  than  a  hundred  birds  in  that  time  with 
a  muzzle-loader  is  a  remarkable  feat,  as  it  requires 
almost  the  entire  lime  for  the  mere  loading  and  firing 
of  the  gun ;  but  the  breech-loader  may  be  charged 
in  an  instant,  and  enables  the  sportsman  to  improve 


318  RAIL- SHOOTING. 

the  lucky  chance  of  coming  upon  a  goodly  collection 
of  Lirds^  and  make  the  most  of  the  scanty  time 
permitted  to  him, 

None  of  those  vexatious  mistakes  that  occasionally 
happen  to  the  best  sportsmen  can  befall  him  ;  the  shot 
cannot  get  into  the  wrong  barrel,  nor  the  cap  be  for- 
gotten ;  the  powder  is  not  exposed  to  ashes  from  a 
careless  man's  cigar;  and  there  being  no  hurry,  there 
is  more  probability  of  steady  nerves  and  a  true 
aim. 

The  charge  should  be  light — three-quarters  of  an 
ounce  of  shot  and  two  drachms  of  powder  being  abim- 
dant  to  kill  the  soft  and  gentle  rail — and  pellets  at 
least  as  fine  as  No.  9  are  preferable  to  coarser  sizes. 
Old  cartridges,  that  have  been  split  and  mended  by 
guniniing  a  piece  of  paper  over  the  crack,  may  be 
used  in  the  breech-loader,  provided  the  sportsman 
desires  to  indulge  in  praiseworthy  economy,  or  is 
deficient  in  a  supply. 

The  sport  is  extremely  exciting :  the  boat  is  forced 
along  with  considerable  rustling  and  breaking  of 
stems  and  stalks ;  the  bright  sun  streams  down 
upon  the  yellow  reeds  and  lights  up  the  variegated 
folinge  of  the  distant  shore  ;  the  waves  of  the  bay  or 
river,  rising  apparently  to  a  level  with  the  eye, 
sparkle  in  the  gentle  breeze  that  bends  the  sedge 
grass  in  successive  waves  ;  neighboring  boats  come 
and  go,  approach  and  recede  ;  the  rapid  reports  are 
heard  in  all  directions,  like  fireworks  on  the  Fourth 
of  July ;  the  sportsman  stands  erect,  and  eager  with 
doliiious   excitement,   near   the  bow ;    the   punter 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  319 

balances  himself,  and  wields  his  long  pole  dexter 
ously  on  a  small  platform  at  the  stern. 

Silently  a  bird,  rising  close  to  the  boat,  wings  its 
way,  with  pendent  legs  and  feeble  strokes,  towards 
some  one  of  its  numerous  hiding-places ;  instantly 
the  punter  plants  his  pole  firmly  in  the  bottom,  hold- 
ing the  skiff  stationary,  the  sportsman  biings  up  his 
piece,  and,  with  deliberate  aim,  sends  the  charge 
straight  after  the  doomed  rail,  which  pitches  head- 
long out  of  sight.  The  punter  has  marked  him  by 
that  single  wild  rice-stalk  with  the  broken  top,  and 
heads  the  boat  at  once  towards  the  place ;  but  ere 
he  has  advanced  a  dozen  feet,  another  bird  starts  and 
offers  to  the  expectant  sportsman,  who  has  his  gun 
still  "  at  a  ready,"  another  favorable  chance,  and, 
meeting  the  same  fate,  falls  into  that  low  bunch  of 
matted  wild  oats.  The  breech-loader  opens,  the 
charges  are  extracted  and  otiiers  inserted,  just  in 
time  to  make  sure  of  two  rail  that  rise  simul- 
taneously, still  ere  the  first  has  been  reached,  and 
which  are  both  tumbled  over  and  marked  down — 
one,  however,  wing-tipped,  and  never  to  be  seen  by 
mortal  eye  again. 

Thus  have  I  experienced  it  on  the  Delaware,  at 
Hackensack,  and,  in  former  days,  among  the  tribu- 
taries of  Jamaica  Bay,  and  at  many  otherplaces  where 
more  or  less  success  has  attended  me.  Although 
never  having  enjoyed  great  luck,  never  having 
advanced  beyond  the  first  hundred,  and  claiming  to 
bo  no  such  marksman  as  several  of  my  friends,  I 
have  had  wondrous  sport.     Of  a  good  day,  when  the 


320  EAIL-SHOOTING. 

tide  is  favorable  and  the  game  plenty,the  excitement 
is  continuous,  and  increased  by  a  sense  of  compe- 
tition. 

Other  sportsmen  are  on  the  same  ground,  stop- 
ping probably  at  the  same  hotel  and  shooting  in 
close  proximity — occasionally  too  close,  if  they  arc 
thoughtless  or  careless.  Not  only  will  a  charge  of 
mustard  seed  sometimes  rattle  against  the  boat,  but 
is  apt,  now  and  then,  to  pierce  the  clothes  and  pene- 
tiate  the  skin,  followed  by  an  irritation  of  mind  and 
body ;  but  when  the  tide  has  fallen,  and  the  sport  is 
over,  a  comparison  of  the  bag  made  by  each  sports- 
man is  inevitable,  and  no  general  assertions  of  round 
numbers  will  answer,  but  the  birds  must  be  pro- 
duced. It  is  vain  to  claim  what  cannot  be  exhibited, 
and  more  than  useless  to  talk  of  the  immense  quan- 
tities that  were  killed  but  not  retrieved ;  such  ex- 
cuses are  answered  by  ridicule,  and  if  the  poor  shot 
would  avoid  being  a  butt,  he  must  be  modest  and 
submissive. 

There  is  danger  too,  at  times,  although  an  upset 
in  the  weeds  can  result  in  nothing  worse  than  a  wet- 
ting of  oneself  and  one's  ammunition,  and  the  ruin 
of  the  day's  enjoyment;  but  I  was  once  on  the  Dela- 
ware, opposite  Chester,  when  a  fierce  north-wester 
was  blowing,  which  had  driven  much  of  the  water  out 
of  the  bay  and  river.  The  tide,  of  course,  was  poor, 
having  difficulty  to  rise  at  all  against  the  gale,  which 
kept  on  increasing  every  moment,  and  the  birds 
were  scarce  and  difficult  to  flush.  The  work  of 
poling  was  laborious ;  the  boats  stopped  after  every 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  321 

push,  and  the  heavy  swell  from  the  broad  river,  roll- 
ing in  a  long  distance  among  the  reeds,  added  a  new 
motion  to  their  natural  unsteadiness. 

Of  course  the  sport  was  not  encouraging,  and  tlie 
accidents  were  numerous ;  several  sportsmen  fell  over- 
board, one  upset  his  boat,  and  my  man  came  so  nenr 
it — his  pole  slipping  at  the  moment  he  was  exerting 
his  utmost  strength  upon  it — that  his  eflbrts  to  re- 
cover his  balance  reminded  me  of  dancing  the  horn- 
pipe in  a  state  of  frenzy.  He  kicked  up  moi-e  capers, 
and  indulged  in  more  contortions  on  the  little  ])lat- 
form,  scarcely  a  foot  square,  which  he  occujiied,  than 
I  supposed  possible  without  dislocation  of  a  limb ; 
but  he  managed,  however,  to  regain  liis  equililnium, 
and  neither  fell  overboard  nor  upset  the  skiff. 

These  little  incidents,  and  the  shooting,  such  as  it 
was,  kept  the  party,  which  was  numerous,  interested 
until  the  time  came  for  recrossing  the  river  to  our 
hotel.  There  was  no  stopping-place  on  our  present 
side  of  the  river,  which  presented  one  apparently 
endless  view  of  waving  reeds ;  and  the  alternative 
was  simply  to  cross  the  open  river,  or  pass  the  night 
in  our  boats.  The  swell  had  increased  into  high 
waves  capped  with  snowy  foam,  and  threatened  de- 
struction to  our  low-sided,  short,  and  narrow  boats. 
Many  were  the  consultations  between  the  various 
punters,  and  grave  were  the  doubts  expressed  of  a 
safe  crossing;  but  as  there  was  no  help  for  it,  the 
trial  had  to  be  made. 

Selections  were  chosen  of  favorable  starting-points, 
and  most  of  the  party  put  out  at  about  the  same 


322  RAIL-SHOOTING. 

lime — the  sportsman  lying  on  the  bottom  at  full 
length  in  the  stern,  and  the  oarsman  timing  his 
strokes  to  the  violence  of  the  sea.  The  waves  broke 
over  us  continually ;  it  was  necessary  to  bail  every 
few  minutes,  and  several  had  to  put  back  when  they 
met  with  some  more  than  usually  heavy  wave,  and 
take  a  fresh  start,  after  emptying  the  superfluous 
water.  Of  course  we  were  drenched  to  the  skin, 
but  foimd  a  species  of  consolation  in  knowing  that 
no  one  had  the  advantage  of  another.  Had  any  of 
our  boats  upset,  although  we  might  have  clung  to 
them  and  drifted  back  among  the  reeds,  we  could 
have  effected  a  landing  nowhere,  and  would  proba- 
bly have  terminated  our  career  then  and  there;  had 
this  happened  to  a  certain  little  skiiF  that  held  two 
men  and  very  few  rail,  this  account  Mould  probably 
never  have  been  written.  However,  fate  ordained 
otherwise,  and  we  reached  our  destination  in  safety. 
The  best  locality  for  rail-shooting  is  along  the 
marshy  shores  of  the  Delaware  River,  above  and 
below  Philadelphia ;  many  birds  are  also  killed  on 
the  Hackensack  and  the  Connecticut ;  they  are 
abundant  on  the  James  River,  and  doubtless  further 
south,  but  are  not  shot  there ;  and  they  are  found 
scattered  over  the  fresh  as  well  as  the  salt  marshes 
throughout  the  entire  country.  I  have  killed  them 
in  the  corn-fields  of  Illinois  while  in  pursuit  of  the 
prairie  chicken,  and  have  bagged  several  and  heard 
many  among  the  wild  rice  of  the  drowned  shores  of 
Lake  Erie.  They  are  a  migratory  bird,  and  pass  to 
the  southward  in  the  early  fall  rather  in  advance  of 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  323 

the  English  snipe,  and  alight  at  any  damp  spots  for 
a  temporary  rest  wherever  the  growth  of  plants 
promises  nutriment. 

They  are  often  flushed  by  the  snipe-shooter,  to- 
gether with  the  larger  Iresh-water  rail,  rallus  elegans^ 
and  their  curious  cry  resounds  along  the  reedy 
marshes  where  the  wild-fowler  pursues  the  early 
ducks.  Nevertheless,  they  are  diflicult  to  flush  and 
kill  where  there  is  no  tide  to  drive  them  from  their 
muddy  retreats,  and  where  the  ground  is  too  heavy 
for  a  dog;  and,  comparatively  speaking,  on  fresh 
water,  unless  the  wind  shall  have  caused  a  tempo- 
rary rise,  they  are  safe  from  injury. 

Their  voices  reply  with  the  guttural  "  krek-krek- 
krek"  to  the  noise  of  the  boat,  and  tauntingly  boast 
of  their  abundance  and  their  security.  Moreover,  in 
a  new  country,  where  larger  game  is  still  plentiful, 
the  excellences  of  the  tender  but  diminutive  rail  are 
lost  sight  of  by  comparison  with  his  more  profitable 
compeers ;  and  except  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  he 
is  known  as  a  game-bird  neither  to  the  sportsman 
nor  the  cook. 

From  the  fact  that  he  is  rarely  seen  in  the  spring, 
and  does  not  at  that  season  give  his  enemies  a  chance 
to  prevent  his  reaching  his  nesting-places  at  the  far 
north — but  only  visits  us  during  a  few  short  weeks  in 
the  fall,  and  then  is  not  much  exposed,  except  in  cer- 
tain localities — his  race  will  be  preserved  in  undimi- 
nished numbers  for  many  generations  ;  the  light  skifis 
will  carry  the  eager  city  sportsman  along  the  shores 
of  the  Delaware,  the  Hackensack,  and  the  cove  on 


324  KAIL-SHOOTING. 

the  Connecticut,  and  the  rapid  reports  will  continue 
to  reverberate  over  the  reedy  marshes. 

There  are  two  varieties,  the  short-billed  or  sora- 
rail,  rallus  Carolinus  /  and  the  long-billed,  or  Vir- 
ginia rail,  rallus  Virginianus,  which  are  easily  dis- 
tinguished by  this  peculiarity,  and  differ,  also, 
slightly  in  plumage.  The  sora-rail  are  by  far  the 
most  numerous,  especially  along  the  sea-coast,  and 
are  usually  referred  to  as  "  the  rail,"  but  both  are 
shot  and  eaten  indiscriminately.  Their  habits,  mode 
of  flight,  and  gastronomic  qualities,  appear  to  be 
identical,  but  I  think  the  Virginia  rail  are  propor- 
tionally more  numerous  at  the  West,  having  a 
slight  preference,  perhaps,  for  the  fresh  water. 
Their  food  must  be,  however,  essentially  different ; 
for  while  the  sora,  on  account  of  its  short  bill,  must 
be  confined  to  the  seeds  of  its  favorite  reed,  zimosa, 
or  the  grains  of  the  wild  oats,  the  Virginia  rail,  with 
its  longer  bill,  also  draws  much  of  its  nourishment 
from  snails  and  aquatic  insects,  and  is  considered  by 
some  less  delicate  in  flavor  than  the  former  variety. 

About  the  fifth  of  September,  before  the  English 
snipe  are  numerous,  although  their  taunting  "scalp" 
may  be  occasionally  heard  on  their  broad,  open 
feeding-grounds ;  ere  the  ducks  have  marshalled 
their  legions  in  retreat  from  the  chilly  blasts  of  the 
north,  after  the  bay-birds,  with  the  exception  of  the 
"short-neck,"  shall  have  mainly  passed  to  the  south* 
ward,  and  before  the  quail  are  large  enough  to  kill — 
the  sportsman  arms  himself  with  his  breech-loader, 
and  drivinorto  Hackensack  or  takinji  steamboat  from 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  325 

Philadelphia,  embarks  in  the  slight  skiff  usually 
called  n  "  rail-boat,"  and  practises  his  liand — possi- 
bly out  of  exercise  since  the  woodcock  days  of  early 
July — upon  the  tame  and  languid  rail. 

His  cartridges  are  prepared  for  the  occasion ;  as 
he  does  not  intend  to  devote  more  than  a  day  or 
two  to  the  amusement,  he  takes  with  him  a  light 
suit,  appropriate  to  the  boat  and  the  weather,  gaiter 
shoes,  flannel  pants  and  shirt,  and  his  waterproof,  to 
meet  a  temporai'y  shower,  and  he  lays  in  sufficient 
liquid  for  himself  and  his  man,  knowing  that  salt  air 
produces  thirst,  and  country  inns  bad  spirits.  Thus 
armed  and  equipped,  if  he  is  fortunate  enough  to 
have  high  tides,  he  is  almost  sure  to  enjoy  fine  sport, 
and  bring  home  a  bag  of  game  that  will  furnish  forth 
his  table  right  handsomely  to  a  goodly  company,  or 
go  far  and  spread  much  satisfoction  among  his  friends 
who  may  be  the  fortunate  recipients.  The  heats  of 
the  summer  solstice  are  over,  the  birds  will  keep 
several  days  with  care,  and  the  sportsman  has  not  to 
dread  either  the  burning  sun  of  August  or  the  freezing 
blasts  of  winter. 

Many  double  shots  present  themselves  in  rail- 
shooting  ;  and  upon  the  manner  in  which  these  are 
turned  to  account,  and  the  brilliancy  with  which  a 
bird  that  rises  while  the  sportsman  is  in  the  act  of 
loading,  is  covered  with  the  hastily  charged  ban-el 
and  cut  down,  depends  the  superiority  of  one  marks- 
man over  another.  In  the  days  of  the  muzzle-loader, 
I  have  killed  many  a  bird  with  one  barrel  while  the 
ramrod  was  still  in  the  other,  and  have  shot  several 


326  RAIL-SHOOTING. 

with  the  barrels  resting  on  ray  arm,  when  they  had 
slipped  from  my  hand  in  bringing  the  gun  up  hur- 
riedly to  my  shoulder.  Every  single  lise  should  be 
secured  as  matter-of-course,  and  most  of  the  double 
ones,  care  being  taken  in  the  latter  to  obey  that 
great  rule,  of  always  killing  the  more  difficult  shot 
first ;  if  you  shoot  right-handed,  as  the  majority  of 
persons  do,  and  one  bird  flies  to  the  right  and  the 
other  to  the  left,  shoot  first  at  the  former,  and  you 
will  have  less  difiiculty  in  bringing  back  the  gun 
towards  the  latter 

iSTever  relax  your  vigilance,  as  the  birds  rise 
silently,  without  the  warning  whistle  of  the  wood- 
cock or  whirr  of  the  quail,  at  the  least  expected 
moment ;  and  if  the  punter  attempts  to  direct  your 
attention,  tlie  chances  are  ten  to  one  that  you  look 
in  the  wrong  quarter. 

The  rail,  while  being  a  pleasant  bird  to  shoot,  is 
also  a  pleasant  bird  to  eat.  There  is  no  variety  of 
our  wild  game,  large  or  small,  that  is  more  delicious  ; 
its  flavor  is  excellent,  and  its  tenderness  beyond  com- 
parison ;  it  may  not  have  the  rich  full  flavor  of  that 
noblest  of  them  all,  the  big-eyed  woodcock,  nor  the 
savory  raciness  of  the  full-breasted  quail,  nor  the 
strong  game  taste  of  the  stylish  rufied  grouse,  nor 
the  unequalled  richness  of  the  kingly  canvas-back — 
but  in  tender,  melting  delicacy  it  is  hardly  surpassed. 
If  cooked  in  perfection,  it  drops  to  pieces  in  the 
mouth,  leaving  only  a  delightful  I'esiduum  of  enjoy- 
ment. It  should  be  floated  in  rosy  wine,  and  wash- 
ed down  with  the  ruby  claret,  and  accompanied  by 


RAIL-SHOOTING.  32^ 

fried  potatoes,  thin  and  crisp  as  a  new  bank  note. 
It  may  be  preceded  by  the  piece  de  resistance,  and 
should  be  followed  only  by  salad,  which  may  in  foct 
be  eaten  with  it,  if  dressed  with  sufficient  purity. 

Kill  your  rail  handsomely  in  the  field,  missing  not 
more  than  one  in  twenty,  present  him  properly  and 
with  due  appreciation  on  the  table,  and  eat  him  with 
the  gratitude  that  he  deserves. 

It  is  only  of  late  years  that  many  rail  were  killed 
at  the  South.  The  old-time  battue  of  the  negroes 
at  night-time,  with  paddles  and  torches,  did  not 
amount  to  much,  but  now  hundreds  are  killed- daily 
through  the  season  in  the  rivers  below  Washington, 
although  the  weather  is  usually  so  hot  that  half  of 
them  spoil.  In  those  extensive  marshes,  two  hun- 
dred to  a  gun  is  a  moderate  day's  bag.  Still  the 
numbers  of  this  excellent  little  bird  have  not  sen- 
sibly diminished,  and  good  sport  is  had  every  year 
on  the  Connecticut  and  the  Delaware. 


CHAPTER  Vm. 

WILD-FOWL   SHOOTING. 

It  is  not  proposed  to  give  any  extended  acc(tunt 
of  wild-fowl  shooting  as  practised  on  the  waters  of 
Long  Island,  or  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  great 
Northern  cities;  the  unsportsmanlike  modes  of 
proceeding  which  are  there  in  vogue,  and  which, 
while  contravening  all  true  ideas  of  sport,  insult  com- 
mon sense  by  the  ruthless  injury  they  inflict,  have 
been  fully  set  forth  by  other  writers. 

In  stationing  a  battery — that  imitation  coffin, 
which  should  be  a  veritable  one,  if  justice  had  its 
way,  to  every  man  who  enters  it — and  in  lying  prone 
in  it  through  the  cold  days  of  winter,  the  market- 
man  may  find  his  pecuniary  profit,  but  the  gentleman 
can  receive  no  pleasure ;  while  the  permanent  injury 
inflicted  by  driving  away  the  ducks  from  their  feed- 
ing-grounds, and  making  them  timorous  of  stop- 
])ing  at  all  in  waters  from  any  and  all  portions  of 
which  unseen  foes  may  arise,  is  ten  times  as  great 
as  the  temporary  advantage  gained ;  and  as  for  calling 
that  sport,  which  is  merely  the  wearisome  endur- 
ance of  cold  and  tedium  to  obtain  game  that  might  be 
killed  more  handsomely,  and  in  the  long  run  more 
abundantly,  by  other  methods,  is  an  entire  misappli 
cation  of  the  word. 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  339 

So  long  as  the  sliooter  confines  himself  to  points 
of  land  or  sedge,  whether  he  uses  decoys  or  awaits 
the  accidental  passage  of  the  birds,  he  not  only  per- 
mits himself  a  change  of  position  and  sufficient  motion 
to  keep  his  blood  in  circulation,  but  he  allows  the 
frightened  flocks  that  have  already  lost  several  of 
their  number  in  running  the  gauntlet,  a  secure 
retreat  in  the  open  waters,  and  undisturbed  rest  at 
meal  time.  And  so  long  as  this  is  granted  them  they 
will  tarry,  and  trust  to  their  sharp  eyes  and  quick 
ears  to  save  their  lives ;  but  when  they  cannot  feed 
in  peace,  and  when  they  can  find  no  haven  of  safety 
in  the  broad  expanse  of  water,  they  will  inevitably 
continue  their  migration,  and  seek  more  hospitable 
quarters. 

Wild-fowl  shooting,  as  pursued  at  the  West,  or 
even  at  the  South,  is  glorious  and  exhilarating ; 
there  the  sportsman  has  exercise,  or  the  assistance 
of  his  faithful  and  Intelligent  retriever,  and  is  re- 
quired to  bring  into  play  the  higher  powers  of  his 
nature.  He  manages  his  own  boat,  or  he  stands 
securely  upon  the  firm  ground,  and  if  he  has  not  a 
canine  companion,  chases  his  crippled  birds  and  re- 
trieves the  dead  ones  by  his  own  unaided  efforts. 

At  the  West,  although  the  vast  numbers  do  not 
collect  that  congregate  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay  and 
Currituck  Inlet,  there  is  an  independence  in  the 
mode  of  pursuit  that  has  a  peculiar  charm ;  and  from 
the  facilities  afforded  by  the  nature  of  the  ground, 
the  excellent  cover  furnished  by  the  high  reeds,  and 
the  immense  number  of  single  shots,  the  average 


330  WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING. 

success  is  as  great  as  iu  the  more  open  waters  of  the 
Southern  coast. 

The  employment  of  retrievers  is  not  general  in 
our  country,  which  is,  by  the  character  of  its  marshes 
and  growth  of  plants,  better  suited  for  the  full  dis- 
play of  their  capacities  than  any  other.  There  aie 
certain  objections  to  the  use  of  a  dog  in  wild-fowl 
shooting,  which,  although  entirely  overbalanced  in 
the  writer's  opinion  by  the  corresponding  advan- 
tages, are  unquestionably  serious.  The  season  for 
duck-shooting  is  mainly  late  and  cold,  when  it  is 
essential  to  the  shooter's  comfort  that  his  boat 
should  be  dry  ;  but  the  dog,  with  every  retrieved 
bird,  comes  back  dripping  with  wet,  and  if  he 
does  not  let  it  drain  into  the  bottom  of  the  skiiF, 
where  it  "swashes"  about  over  clothes  and  boots, 
shakes  himself  in  a  way  to  deluge  with  a  mimic 
cataract  every  person  and  thing  within  yards  of 
him. 

It  is  unreasonable  to  ask  of  the  intelligent  and 
devoted  but  shivering  creature,  that  he  should  re- 
main standing  in  the  freezing  water  or  upon  the 
damp  sedge ;  and  if  the  master  is  as  little  of  a  brute 
as  his  companion,  and  has  a  spare  coat,  the  dog  will 
have  it  for  a  bed,  regardless  of  the  consequences. 

Nor  is  this  the  only  difficulty ;  for  unless  the 
animal  has  instinctive  judgment  as  well  as  careful 
training,  he  may  iu  open  water  upset  the  frail  skiff, 
by  either  jumping  out  of  it,  or  clambering  into  it 
injudiciously.  A  thoughtful  creature  maybe  taught 
to  make  his  entry  and  exit  over  the  stern,  but  un- 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  331 

fortunately,  some  of  the  most  enthusiastic  and  ser 
vioeable  dogs  have  little  discretion  or  forethought ; 
and  unless  he  is  trained  to  perfect  quiet,  and  broken 
to  e  itire  immobility  at  the  most  exciting  moments, 
he  irt  apt  to  interfere  sadly  with  the  sport. 

In  spite  of  these  inconveniences,  however,  the  loss 
of  many  of  his  birds — amounting,  amid  the  dense 
reeds  of  the  western  lakes,  to  nearly  one-half  of  the 
whole  immber — will  satisfy  the  sportsman  that  the 
retriever,  with  his  devoted  and  wonderful  sagacity, 
to  say  nothing  of  his  delightful  companionship,  is  a 
most  desirable  acquisition.  Where  the  sportsman 
is  forced  to  pursue  his  calling  solitary  and  alone,  so 
far  as  human  associates  are  concerned,  he  will  find 
the  presence  of  his  four-footed  friend  a  great  satis- 
faction, and,  amid  the  solitary  and  unemployed  mid- 
day hours,  a  pleasant  resource. 

The  dog  is  the  natural  companion  of  the  sports- 
man— the  partaker  of  his  pleasures,  the  coadjutor  of 
his  triumphs ;  and  whenever  his  peculiar  gifts  can 
be  used  to  advantage,  it  is  a  gratification  to  both  to 
call  upon  him.  The  knowledge  that  he  will  acquire 
•  i-n  time  is  truly  marvellous.  Not  only  does  he  pos- 
sess the  power  of  smell,  but  his  eyesight  and  hear- 
ing far  surpass  those  of  man ;  he  will  often  discern 
a  flock  hmg  before  it  is  visible  to  human  eyes,  and 
his  motions  will  warn  his  master  of  its  approach. 

His  training  can  be  carried  on  beyond  limit ;  his 
knowledge  increases  daily,  and  his  devotion  is  un- 
bounded. Of  all  the  race,  the  retriever  is  probably 
the  most  intelligent ;  as,  in  fact,  intelligence  is  one 


332  WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING. 

of  his  necessary  qualifications.  For  this  work  no 
breed  has  the  slightest  value  unless  the  individuals 
possess  rare  sagacity  and  almost  human  judgment. 
Some  of  the  most  valuable  English  dogs  have  been 
from  an  accidental  cross ;  and  a  pure  cur  with  a  heavy 
coat  is  often  as  good  as  any  other. 

There  is  in  England  a  strain  of  dogs  known  as 
retrievers ;  they  are  mostly  used  in  connexion  with 
upland  shooting,  as  English  pointers  and  setters  are 
not  broken  to  fetch  ;  but  the  favorite  animals  for 
wild- fowl  shooting,  which  have  made  their  name 
notorious  in  connexion  with  this  specialty,  have 
generally  come  from  parents  neither  of  which  pos- 
sesses the  true  retriever  blood. 

In  this  country  the  best  breed  will  have  some  of 
the  Newfoundland  strain ;  the  animal  must  be 
clothed  with  a  dense  coat  of  thick  hair  to  endure 
the  severe  exposure  to  which  he  is  subjected,  and 
must  be  endowed  with  a  natural  aptitude  and  pas- 
sion for  swimming.  The  usual  color  is  dark,  which, 
in  the  writer's  judgment,  is  a  great  mistake ;  and  the 
only  really  distinct  breed  of  retrievers  is  known  as 
that  of  Baltimore. 

In  the  Southern  States  the  dog,  as  an  assistant  in 
wild-fowl  shooting,  has  always  been  in  far  greater 
repute  than  at  the  North  ;  although  the  inland  lakes 
of  the  latter,  the  extensive  marshes  closely  grown 
up  with  tall  zimosas,  matted  wild  oats,  and  thick 
weeds,  make  his  services  far  more  desirable.  At 
the  South  alone  has  any  intelligent  attention  been 
given  to  raising  a  superior  strain  of  retrievers ;  and 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  335 

whether  we  seek  an  animal  tliat  by  ids  curious 
motions  will  toll  ducks  up  to  the  stand,  or  by  Ids 
natural  intelligence  will  aid  the  punt-shooter  in 
recovering  his  game,  it  is  at  the  South  alone  that 
we  can  find  any  admitted  pedigree. 

In  the  Northern  States,  however,  the  "  native," 
as  he  is  called  at  the  West — probably  from  the  fact 
that  he  is  invariably  a  foreigner — selects  any  pro- 
mising pup,  and  by  means  of  much  flogging  and 
steady  work  trains  him  to  a  faint  knowledge  of  his 
duties.  A  young  dog  loves  to  fetch,  and  will  take 
pleasure  in  chasing  a  ball  thrown  for  him  round  the 
room,  and  if  he  is  a  water-dog,  naturally  brings  from 
the  water  a  stick  cast  into  it,  so  that  the  routine  part 
is  easily  impressed  upon  him ;  but  an  animal  with 
this  proficiency  alone  is  scarcely  worth  keeping. 

A  good  dog  must  have  intuiiive  quickness  of 
thought  and  judgment ;  he  must  know  enough  to 
lie  perfectly  motionless  when  a  flock  is  approaching ; 
he  must  understand  how  to  retrieve  his  birds  judi- 
ciously, bringing  the  cripples  first ;  he  must  have 
perseverance,  endurance,  and  great  personal  vigor. 
A  duck  is  cunning,  and  to  outwit  its  many  artifices 
and  evasions  the  retriever  must  have  greater  shrewd- 
ness ;  it  can  skulk,  and  hide,  and  swim,  and  sneak, 
and  he  must  have  the  patience  to  follow  it,  and  the 
strength  to  capture  it.  Wonderful  stories  are  told  of 
the  many  exhibitions  of  what  seems  much  like  human 
reason,  evinced  by  some  of  the  celebrated  retrievers. 

But  probably  the  rarest  quality  for  a  dog  or  man 
to  iM)Sses8,  and  the  most  necessary  to  both,  if  they 


336  WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING. 

would  excel  in  field  sports,  is  the  power  of  self-re- 
straint. To  ask  an  animal,  trembling  all  over  with 
delirious  excitement,  to  lie  down  and  remain  per- 
fectly motionless  during  those  most  trying  moments 
when  the  ducks  are  approaching  and  being  killed, 
is  to  demand  of  him  a  self-control  greater  than 
would  be  often  found  in  his  master.  Yet  upon  this 
quality  in  the  dog  depends  the  entire  question  of 
his  value  or  worthlessness ;  if  he  makes  the  slightest 
motion,  the  quick  eyes  of  the  birds  are  sure  to  dis- 
cern it ;  and  if  he  bounces  up  at  the  first  discharge, 
he  will  certainly  destroy  his  master's  chance  of 
using  his  second  barrel,  and  perhaps  upset  him  over 
the  side  of  the  boat. 

It  is  to  avoid  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  ducks  that  a 
black  color  for  the  dog  has  been  condemned.  Amid 
the  yellow  and  brown  reeds  of  the  marshes,  or  upon 
the  reflective  surface  of  the  open  v.'ater,  black,  from 
its  capacity  for  absorbing  the  rays  of  light,  is  visible 
at  an  immense  distance.  Yellow,  brown,  or  grey 
are  the  best  shades ;  and  any  color  is  preferable  to 
black.  Red  is  selected  by  the  Southerners  for  their 
tolling  dogs,  but  this  is  with  the  purpose  of  making 
them  attractive. 

Many  persons  conceive  that  a  dark  coat  is  warmer 
for  an  animal  than  white,  an  idea  that  is  carried  into 
practice  in  the  ordinary  winter  dress  of  human  be- 
ings ;  but  it  is  refuted  not  only  by  the  simplest  prin- 
ciples of  science,  but  by  the  natural  covering  of  the 
animals  that  inhabit  the  cold  climes  of  the  north.  The 
polar  bear  is  clothed  in  white,  while  the  southern  bear 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  337 

is  of  a  deep  black ;  and  many  of  the  animals  and  some 
birds  that  pass  the  winter  in  the  arctic  regions,  change 
their  dress  in  winter  from  dark  to  grey  or  pure  white. 

Undoubtedly  with  a  retriever  the  first  point  is  to 
consider  his  protection  against  cold ;  plunging  as  he 
does  at  short  intervals  into  Avater  at  a  low  tempera- 
ture, and  exposed  when  emerging  to  the  still  colder 
blasts  of  ^olus,  he  must  be  rendered  comfortable 
as  far  as  possible  at  the  sacrifice  of  every  other  con- 
sideration. This  is  attained  by  the  thickness  more 
than  the  color  of  his  coat ;  and  the  writer  has  al- 
ways fancied,  whether  correctly  or  not,  that  curly 
hair  is  warmer  than  straight  hair. 

The  matted  coat  of  the  Newfoundland  dogs — the 
smaller  breed  being  preferable  by  reason  of  size — is 
extremely  waim,  and  where  its  color  is  modified  by 
judicious  crossing,  is  all  that  can  be  desired ;  while 
the  instinctive  intelligence,  the  devotion,  faithful- 
ness, docility,  and  interest  in  the  sport,  of  these 
admirable  animals,  fit  them  in  an  extraordinary 
degree  for  wild-fowl  shooting.  Coming  from  the 
north  and  accustomed  to  playing  in  the  water,  they 
can,  without  danger,  face  the  element  in  its  coldest 
state  ;  and  whether  it  be  to  chase  a  stick  thrown  into 
the  waves  by  their  youthful  human  playmates,  or 
to  recover  ducks  shot  by  their  sporting  owner,  they 
take  naturally  to  all  aquatic  amusements. 

Nevertheless,  as  has  been  heretofore  remarked, 
although  it  is  well  to  have  a  slight  strain  of  the  New- 
foundland, no  distinct  breed  is  necessary  to  make  a 
good  retriever.     Our  ordiuaiy  setters  are  sometimes 


338  WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING. 

unsurpassable  for  the  purpose ;  and  any  tractable 
(log,  if  well  ti'ained,  will  answer  in  a  measure. 

How  different  it  is  to  stand  in  the  narrow  skiff 
among  the  tall  reeds  at  early  dawn,  with  the  eager 
and  expectant,  though  humble,  associate,  crouched 
in  the  bottom  upon  his  especial  mat,  and  there  in 
the  increasing  light  that  paints  the  east  with  many 
changing  hues,  to  single  out  the  best  chances  from 
the  passing  flocks,  and  have  your  skill  doubly  en- 
hanced by  the  intelligent  cooperation  of  your  com- 
panion ;  than  to  lie,  cramped,  cold,  and  suffering,  all 
through  the  weary  hours,  stretched  at  full  length 
upon  your  back  with  eyes  staring  up  to  Heaven  and 
straining  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  horizon  over 
your  beard  or  forehead ;  and  oecasionally  to  rise  to 
an  equally  constrained  posture  that  is  neither  sitting 
nor  lying,  and  do  your  best  to  discharge  your  gun 
with  some  judgment  at  a  passing  flock  of  fowl! 
Who  can  hesitate  in  selecting  the  mode  in  which  he 
will  pursue  the  sport  of  wild-fowl  shooting?  Most 
of  the  favorite  varieties  of  ducks,  including  many 
that  are  known  among  ornithologists  as  sea-ducks, 
fuUgvlce,  are  found  in  the  many  scattered  ponds, 
the  shallow  marshes,  or  the  extensive  inland  seas 
of  the  great  west ;  while  the  swans  and  geese  are 
shot,  the  former  along  the  larger  rivers  and  lakes, 
and  the  latter  in  the  corn-fields.  It  is  true  that  the 
enormous  flocks  that  collect  in  the  lagoons  and  bays 
of  the  South  are  rarely  seen ;  but  the  flight  of  small 
bodies  or  single  birds  is  more  continuous,  and  pro 
bably  the  total  number  even  larger. 


WILD-FOWL   SHOOTING.  339 

It  is  impossible  to  particularize  localities  as  pre- 
eminent for  this  sport  where  so  many  are  good ; 
and  the  swamps,  rivers,  lakes,  cultivated  fields,  and 
even  open  prairies  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michi- 
gan, Iowa,  Nebraska,  Dakota,  Colorado,  Minnesota, 
and  Wyoming,  and  the  Western  country  generally, 
abound  in  their  seasons  with  various  descriptions 
of  wild-fowl.  An  English  sportsman,  who  had 
spent  many  years  in  the  West,  gave  it  as  his  opinion 
that  the  best  place  for  all  varieties  of  sport  in  the 
world  Avas  Southern  Minnesota. 

Although  the  use  of  a  light  skiff  is  always  desirable 
and  adds  enormously  to  the  comfort  of  the  shooter, 
circumstances  will  often  arise  that  will  deprive  him 
of  its  use ;  and  in  such  case  he  has  no  better  re- 
source than  to  don  his  long  wading  boots,  and  tramp 
through  the  shallow  water  until  he  conies  to  a  favor- 
able spot,  perhaps  the  deserted  house  of  a  family 
of  beavers ;  and  there,  perched  upon  its  sununit  and 
concealed  by  the  surrounding  reeds,  to  resign  him- 
self to  the  inevitable  inconveniences  of  his  position. 
When  his  feet  grow  cold  in  spite  of  their  india- 
rubber  casing,  and  his  muscles  weary  for  want  of 
rest,  he  will  long  for  the  dry  skiff;  and  when  he 
comes  to  " batk "  his  load  of  game — consisting,  if 
he  is  successful,  of  geese,  canvas-backs,  red-heads, 
mallards,  blue-bills,  widgeons,  and  perhaps  a  swan — 
across  the  muddy  flats  a  mile  or  two  to  dry  land,  he 
will  long  for  it  still  more  intensely. 

For  shooting  ducks  the  best  weather  is  dark,  or 
even  rainy,  as  at  such  times  the  birds  fly  closer  to 


340  WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING. 

the  earth,  being  unable  to  follow  their  coarse,  and 
do  not  perceive  the  sportsman  so  readily.  But  as  a 
natural  consequence,  the  sportsman's  ammunition 
becoraes  damp  and  his  clothes  wet,  while  the  old- 
fogy  owner  of  the  muzzle-loader  will  unjustly  anathe- 
matize Eley's  water-proof  caps  when  his  gun  misses 
fire,  instead  of  blaming  his  own  stupidity.  The  in- 
sides  of  barrels  will  foul  and  the  outsides  rust ;  the 
loading-stick  will  become  dirty  and  the  sportsman's 
hands  and  face  grimy ;  and  then  the  happy  possessor 
of  the  breech-loader,  when  he  handles  his  clean  car- 
tridges, although  one  occasionally  may  stick,  will 
thank  his  good  fortune  and  bless  Lefaucheaux. 

A  strong  wind  forces  the  birds  out  of  their  safe 
course,  up  and  down  the  open  "leads,"  upon  the 
various  points  where  the  fowler,  selecting  the  most 
favorable  by  watching  the  flight,  takes  his  stand; 
and,  when  they  are  heading  against  it,  reduces  their 
speed  fi-om  the  lightning  rate  of  ninety  miles  an 
hour  to  reasonable  deliberation  ;  but  when  they  are 
travelling  with  it,  renders  the  art  of  killing  them 
one  of  no  easy  acquisition. 

In  shooting  wild-fowl,  or  in  fact  any  rapid  flying 
birds,  it  is  necessaiy  to  aim  ahead  of  them — not 
that  the  gun  is  actually  fired  ahead  of  them,  but  to 
allow  for  the  time,  hardly  perceptible  to  man,  but 
noticeable  in  the  changed  position  of  the  birds,  ne- 
cessary to  discharge  the  piece;  and  the  distance 
allowed  must  depend  not  only  on  the  rapidity  of 
their  flight,  but  on  the  customary  quickness  of  the 
marksman.    The  great  fault  of  sportsmen  is,  that 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  341 

they  shoot  below  and  behind  their  birds;  and  this  is 
particularly  apt  to  be  the  case  where  the  game,  as 
with  wild-fowl,  appears  to  move  more  slowly  than  it 
really  does. 

To  the  novice  in  this  peculiar  sport,  the  second 
difficulty  to  overcome  will  be  the  inability  to  judge 
distances.  Not  only  do  objects  appear  over  the 
water  nearer  than  they  really  are,  but  there  is  no 
neighboring  object  that  will  aid  the  judgment  in 
coming  to  a  correct  conclusion ;  and  by  changes 
in  the  weather  birds  in  the  air  will  seem  to  be 
nearer  or  further  off,  and  their  plumage  will  be 
more  or  less  distinctly  visible,  according  to  circum- 
stances. After  several  days'  experience  iu  dark, 
cloudy  weather,  the  greatest  proficient  will,  on  the 
first  ensuing  day  of  bright  sunshine,  throw  away 
many  useless  shots  at  impracticable  distances. 

There  is  no  criterion  to  determine  the  distance 
of  any  bird  high  above  the  horizon,  and  any  recom- 
mendation to  wait  till  the  eyes  can  be  seen — the 
book-maker's  rule — is  worse  than  useless;  it  is  a 
matter  of  experience  and  judgment. 

There  is  no  better  time  to  kill  ducks  than  when 
they  are  coming  head  on,  the  commonly  promulgated 
idea  that  their  feathers  will  turn  the  heavy  shot 
being  simply  absurd ;  and  all  the  marksman  has  to 
do  is  to  cover  his  bird,  pitch  his  gun  a  trifle  up- 
wards, and  pull  the  trigger. 

In  the  matter  of  ammunition,  the  high  numbers 
of  shot  and  the  light  charges  of  powder  of  old 
times   have  changed  by  general  consent;  and  for 


34^  WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING. 

ducks,  one  ounce  and  a  quarter  of  No.  4  or  5,  and 
perhaps  No.  3  late  in  the  season,  and  of  No.  1  or  2 
for  geese,  driven  out  of  the  ordinary  field-gun  by 
three  and  a  half  drachms  of  powder,  will  be  found 
preferable.  I  say  a  field-gun,  because,  although  the 
heavy  duck-gun,  with  its  enormous  charge  of  six 
drachms  of  powder  and  three  ounces  of  shot,  is 
undoubtedly  more  killing  when  discharged  into 
large  flocks,  the  waste  of  ammunition  would  be 
immense  were  it  used  at  the  scattering  flight  of 
the  western  country. 

Many  kinds  of  wild-fowl  will,  like  bay-snipe,  be 
attracted  by  an  imitation  of  their  cry ;  and,  when 
decoys  are  used,  the  mastery  of  these  calls  is  neces- 
sary to  the  proficiency  of  the  bayman.  But  at  the 
West,  where  the  use  of  decoys  is  not  customary, 
and  where  the  nature  of  the  ground  prevents  full 
advantage  being  obtained  from  these  devices,  a 
knowledge  of  the  art  is  not  so  necessary.  Never- 
theless, there  is  something  thrilling  in  the  "  honk  " 
of  the  wild  goose ;  when  it  is  heard,  the  sportsman 
is  earnest  in  his  efforts  to  imitate  it,  and  if  suc- 
cessful— which  he  often  is,  for  the  bird  responds 
readily — is  not  only  proud  of  the  result,  but  amply 
rewarded  for  his  skill. 

In  shooting  from  any  species  of  cover,  when  ducks 
are  approaching,  it  is  more  important  not  to  move 
than  to  be  well  hid;  the  slightest  motion  startles 
and  alarms  the  birds,  that  would  possibly  have  ap- 
nroached  the  sportsman  in  full  view  if  he  had  re- 
mained motionless.    K  they  are  suddenly  perceived 


WILD-FOWL  SHOOTING.  343 

near  at  hand  while  the  sportsman  is  standiDg  erect, 
let  him  remain  so  without  stirring  a  muscle,  and  not 
attempt  to  dodge  down  into  the  blind.  The  ducks 
may  not  notice  him — especially  if  liis  dress  is  of  a 
suitable  color — among  the  reeds,  but  will  inevitably 
catch  sight  of  the  least  movement. 

So  much  for  general  suggestions  and  advice,  which 
will  be  regarded  or  disregarded  by  the  gentlemen 
for  whom  this  work  is  written,  much  according  to 
their  pre\  iously  conceived  ideas ;  and  which  may  or 
may  not  be  correct  according  to  the  opportunities 
of  judging,  and  the  skill  of  turning  them  to  account, 
of  the  writer ;  and  now  we  will  record  a  few  per- 
sonal experiences,  in  the  hope,  if  not  of  further  eluci- 
dating and  supporting  the  views  herein  expressed, 
of  furnishing  the  reader  with  more  interesting  mat- 
ter. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DUCK-SHOOTING  ON  THE  INLAND  LAKES. 

Out  West — Vay  otft  West — a  very  long  distance 
from  our  eastern  cities  in  miles,  but,  thanks  to  steam 
and  iron,  ayery  short  one  in  hours,  upon  an  island  ly- 
ing in  a  bay  that  debouches  into  one  of  the  great  chain 
of  lakes,  is  situated  a  large,  neat,  white-painted  and 
comfortable  house,  where  a  club  of  sportsmen  meot 
to  celebrate  the  advent  and  presence  of  the  wild 
ducks.  The  mansion- — for  it  deserves  that  name 
from  its  extent  and  many  conveniences — peeps  out 
from  amid  the  elms  and  hickories  that  cover  the 
point  upon  which  it  stands,  almost  concealed  in 
summer  by  their  foliage,  but  in  winter  protected,  as 
it  were,  by  their  bare,  gaunt  limbs.  From  the 
piazza  that  extends  along  the  front  a  plank  pathway 
leads  to  the  wharf,  which  shelves  into  the  water, 
like  the  levees  on  the  Mississippi,  and  down  or  up 
which  each  sportsman  can,  unaided,  run  his  light 
boat  at  his  own  sweet  will.  Adjoining  the  wharf  is 
the  out-house,  where  the  boats  are  stored  in  tiers, 
one  above  another,  and  are  protected  summer  and 
winter  from  the  weather.  Not  far  off  stands  that 
most  important  building,  a  commodious  ice-house, 
suggestive  of  the  luxuries  and  comforts  that  a  better 
acquaintance  with  the  ways  of  the  place  will  realize. 


DUCK-SHOOTlNG.  345 

The  island  is  not  large,  but  wherever  it  is  tillable, 
a  garden,  orchard,  and  grapery  have  been  planted, 
and  furnish  the  household  with  delicious  fruit  and 
vegetables.  Quail  have  been  introduced,  and,  being 
protected  by  the  regulations  of  the  establishment, 
have  increased  and  multiplied ;  and  wild  turkeys 
occasionally  commit  upon  the  vines  depredations 
which  are  condignly  punished.  It  is  a  lovely  spot, 
far  from  other  habitations,  and  affords  shelter  during 
the  fall  months  to  as  pleasant  a  set  of  sportsmen  as 
can  be  found  the  world  over. 

The  President,  with  his  short  figure  and  grey  hair, 
but  sharp,  clear  eye,  was  selected  for  his  superior 
success  as  a  marksman,  and  rarely  returns  from  a 
day's  excursion  without  a  boat-load  of  game.  The 
Vice-President  and  Secretaiy  are  the  only  other 
officers,  and  upon  their  fiat  it  depends  whether  any 
outsider  shall  trespass  upon  their  inland  Paradise, 
Promiscuous  invitations  were  once  extended  to  the 
brethren  of  the  gun  and  rod,  but  so  many  spurious 
counterfeits  presented  themselves,  that  a  stringent 
rule  had  to  be  adopted  to  exclude  all  but  the  genuine 
article. 

The  shooting  lasts  from  the  1st  of  September  till 
the  chill  breath  of  winter  closes  the  bay  and  drives 
the  birds  to  more  hospitable  localities.  It  is  pursued 
in  a  small,  light,  flat-bottomed  boat,  similar,  on  a 
larger  pattern,  to  the  rail-boats  used  on  the  Dela- 
ware. Each  boat  is  provided  with  a  pair  of  oars 
working  on  pins  that  fit  into  outriggers ;  and  also 
with  a  long  setting-pole,  which  has  a  bent  wire,  like 


346  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

a  tiny  two-pronged  pitchfork,  on  the  end,  to  catch 
against  the  reods  in  poling,  A  place  is  made  to  rest 
the  gun  on  upon  one  of  the  thwarts;  an  ammunition- 
box,  contnining  separate  compartments  for  shot  of 
several  sizes,  wads,  and  caps,  is  stowed  away  in  the 
bottom,  and  a  heavy  loading-stick,  in  addition  to 
the  ramrod,  is  carried.  Two  guns  are  an  absolute 
necessity,  unless  the  sportsman  has  a  breech-loader ; 
for  many  birds  are  crippled  and  require  a  second 
shot  before  they  escape  into  the  thick  weeds,  where 
they  are  hopelessly  lost ;  and  when  the  flight  is 
rapid,  he  requires,  at  least,  four  barrels,  and  would 
be  thankful  if  he  couLl  manage  more. 

The  bay,  which  stretches  in  vast  extent,  is  filled 
with  high  reeds  and  wild  rice,  and  rarely  exceeds 
a  few  feet  in  depth  except  where  open  passages 
mark  the  deeper  channels.  It  is  a  matter  of  no  lit- 
tle intricacy  for  a  stranger  to  find  his  way,  and 
after  nightfall  the  oldest  hahitu^  will  often  become 
bewildered,  as  the  various  bunches  of  weeds, 
tufts  of  rice,  or  stretches  of  pond  lilies  look  alike, 
and  when  a  southerly  wind  is  blowing  the  water 
falls  and  leaves  all  but  the  deep  channels  nearly  or 
quite  bare.  If  a  man  under  such  circumstances  once 
loses  his  course  he  may  as  well  make  up  his  mind  to 
pass  the  night  in  his  boat ;  though  he  work  himself 
almost  to  death  trying  to  pole  over  bare  spots,  he 
will  but  travel  in  a  circle  and  grow  momentarily 
more  bewildered. 

I  landed  at  the  wharf  in  the  middle  of  October, 
of  a  year  ever  famous  for  the  immense  numbers  of 


DUCE-SHOOTING.  347 

birds  that  were  killed  during  it,  and  met  with  a 
hearty  greeting  from  a  goodly  company  collected 
round  the  groaning  board  of  mine  host  of  the  white- 
flowing  locks.  There  was  our  worthy  President, 
and  our  Secretary  and  Treasurer  gracefully  combined 
in  one ;  there  our  lucky  man  and  the  unlucky  man, 
and  there  a  famous  black-bass  fisherman,  and  there 
my  special  fiiend,  and  others  of  lesser  note. 

We  sat  down  to  tea  with  roasted  canvas-backs  at 
one  end  of  the  table,  broiled  steaks  at  the  other, 
and  beautiful  potatoes  flanking  each  that  had  been 
raised  on  our  own  premises  and  were  tumbling  to 
white  particles,  as  though  they  were  trying  to  be 
flour ;  jolly,  round,  baked  apples  sitting  complacent- 
ly in  their  own  juice,  vegetables  of  all  sorts,  grapes 
from  our  grapery,  and  so  many  other  inward  com- 
forts that  one  hardly  knew  where  to  begin  and  never 
knew  where  to  leave  off.  Our  comely  hostess,  who 
had  prepared  those  good  things,  poured  out  the  tea 
for  us,  and  put  in  sly  remarks  to  her  favorites  ;  and, 
altogether,  it  was  truly  pleasant. 

After  tea  and  adjournment  to  tlie  sitting-room, 
while  enjoying  the  practical  cigar  or  comfortable 
pipe,  we  discussed  the  vnried  fortunes  of  the  day 
and  the  probabilities  of  the  morrow ;  compared 
views  on  the  habits  of  fish,  flesh,  or  fowl,  and  related 
experiences  of  former  expeditions.  But  eager  for 
the  morning  sun,  we  retired  early  and  dreamed  of 
victory. 

As  soon  as  the  lazy  dawn  streaked  the  east,  dress- 
ing being  done  by  candle-light,  we  hastily  disposed 


348  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

of  our  breakfast  and  prepared  for  the  start.  Hav- 
ing selected  our  boats  and  arranged  them  on  the 
wharf,  we  stowed  our  guns,  ammunition-boxes,  over- 
clothes,  a  few  decoys,  and  such  other  articles  as  fancy 
suggested ;  and  then  taking  two  little  tin  pails,  we 
put  a  nice  lunch  of  cold  duck,  steak,  bread,  pickles, 
cake,  and  fruit  in  one,  and  into  the  other  water  with 
a  large  lump  of  ice  bobbing  around  in  the  centre ; 
and  thus  equipped,  each  man  slid  his  boat  down  the 
inclined  wharf,  and  shipping  his  oars,  pulled  for  his 
favorite  location. 

My  friend  and  myself  joined  forces,  and  made  our 
first  pause  at  a  little  bunch  of  wild  rice  not  far  from 
the  house,  called  Fort  Ossawatomie.  Decoys  are 
not  generally  used  in  this  region,  as  they  cannot  be 
seen  from  any  considerable  distance  by  the  birds  on 
account  of  the  reeds ;  but  my  friend  had  left  his  at 
this  place  over  night,  and  -they  were  still  "bobbing 
around  " — pretending  to  swim  and  looking  deceit- 
fully innocent — when  we  ensconced  ourselves  among 
the  reeds  near  by,  crowding  down  into  the  bottom 
of  our  boats  well  out  of  view. 

Several  flocks  were  seen  hovering  over  the  hori- 
zon, or  moving  along  in  the  distance,  scarcely  discer- 
nible against  the  morning  clouds  ;  and  although  occa- 
sionally they  bade  fair  to  approach,  our  hopes  were 
destined  to  disappointment,  till  a  single  bird  turned 
and  headed  directly  towards  us.  When  a  bird  is 
approaching  head  on,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  tell 
whether  he  is  not  going  directly  from  you ;  and  at 
times,  except  for  his  growing  plainer  every  moment, 


DUCK  SHOOTING.  349 

we  should  have  doubted  which  way  this  bird  was 
flying.  Once  he  turned,  from  a  change  of  fancy  or 
fearing  danger,  but  perceiving  some  other  cause  of 
alarm  he  again  straightened  his  course  towards  us. 

We  were  bent  down,  peering  eagerly  through  the 
high  reeds,  as  at  last  he  came  by,  within  a  long  gun- 
shot, on  the  side  of  my  companion.  The  latter,  ris- 
ing at  the  exact  moment,  wheeled  round,  brought 
up  his  gun,  and  fired  in  an  instant.  It  was  just  with- 
in range,  but  the  bird  turned  over,  killed  dead,  and 
fell  with  a  great  splash  into  the  water,  sending  the 
spray  six  feet  into  the  air.  Seizing  the  pole,  I  pushed 
out  to  him,  and  found  that  he  was  a  blue-bill,  one 
of  the  best  birds  of  the  "Western  waters,  and  at  this 
time  in  perfection. 

"We  again  concealed  ourselves  ;  but  noticing  that 
the  birds  shunned  the  spot,  I  determined  to  leave  it, 
and  pushed  out  alone  to  one  of  the  pi-incipal  land- 
marks, where  the  landscape  presents  so  great  a  uni- 
formity— a  large  umbrella-like  elm  upon  the  distant 
shore.  I  did  not  follow  the  regular  channel;  and 
at  first  the  way  was  a  difficult  one,  being  directly 
through  a  fringe  of  wild  rice,  where  the  water  was 
shallow  and  the  stalks  reached  high  above  my  head, 
but  beyond,  an  open  patch  of  water-lilies  stretched 
for  half  a  mile. 

The  broad,  smooth  leaves  of  this  remarkable 
plant,  far  larger  than  those  of  the  pond-lilies  of  the 
Eastern  States,  lay  in  numbers  upon,  or  half  buried 
in,  the  water ;  while  standing  up  a  few  feet  above 
its  surface  with  their  straight  stems,  and  gracefully 


350  DUCK-SHOOMNd. 

waving  in  the  wind,  were  the  cup-like  pods  that 
contain  the  seeds. 

When  the  pods  first  form  the  seeds  are  entirely 
hidden  from  view,  but  as  they  increase  in  size,  holes 
form  in  the  covering,  through  which  they  peep  as 
through  a  window.  The  seeds  and  pod  are  originally 
green,  but  darken  and  turn  blue,  and  then  brown, 
as  the  season  advances ;  and  the  holes,  which  begin 
by  being  small,  become  larger  till  they  open  suffi- 
ciently for  the  seeds  to  fall  out.  The  seeds  or  ber- 
ries are  elliptical  in  shape  and  of  almost  the  size  of 
a  chestnut;  in  the  green  state  they  are  soft,  and  can 
be  readily  cut  with  a  knife ;  but  when  ripe  and  black, 
they  are  as  hard  as  stone,  and  will  turn  the  edge  of 
a  knife  like  agate. 

When  about  half  ripe,  or  bluish  in  color,  they  are 
good  to  eat,  and  after  the  removal  of  a  little  green 
sprout  hidden  in  the  centre,  are  sweet,  tasting  much 
the  same  as  a  chestnut.  As  they  ripen  and  their 
covering  recedes,  their  stems  hold  them  upright; 
but  the  first  heavy  frost  breaks  down  the  stems,  and 
lets  the  seed  fall  out  irkto  the  water,  where  they  lie 
till  next  year. 

The  working  of  nature  is  wonderful,  as  no  one 
observes  more  frequently  than  the  sportsman;  all 
this  care  is  taken  to  preserve  the  seeds  for  their  ap- 
pointed work.  If  they  were  permitted  to  fall  out 
when  green  or  even  half  ripe,  the  action  of  the  water 
would  soften  and  destroy  them ;  extreme  hardness 
is  necessary  to  resist  its  action  for  so  long  a  time  ; 
while,  on  the   other  hand,  if  tlicy  were  retained 


btJCK-SHOOTING.  35l 

longer  and  exposed  to  excessive  cold,  their  germi- 
nating principle  would  be  annihilated. 

Wood-ducks  are  fond  of  them  in  their  unripe 
state,  and  frequent  the  marshes,  especially  in  the 
early  fall,  to  procure  a  supply.  With  a  view  to 
nuts  and  grapes  for  dessert,  I  paused  to  gather  a 
number  of  pods,  and  was  carelessly  pushing  along, 
when  from  out  a  bunch  of  weeds,  with  a  great  clat- 
ter, sprang  a  couple  of  those  birds.  Dropping  the 
setting-pole,  I  throw  myself  forward  to  seize  the 
gun  ;  but  for  this  shooting,  infinite  practice  and 
great  aptitude  are  required ;  and  although  w^ell 
accustomed  to  kill  rail  from  the  floating  cockle- 
shells on  the  Delaware  river,  and  able  to  take  one 
end  of  a  birch  canoe  with  any  man,  I  was  bun- 
glingly  in  my  own  way,  and,  when  at  last  one 
barrel  was  discharged,  a  shameful  miss  was  the 
only  result.  Anathematizing  my  awkwardness,  I 
was  dropping  the  butt  to  reload,  when,  roused  by 
the  report,  another  bird  sprang  not  more  than 
twenty  yards  off.  In  an  instant  the  gun  was  at 
my  shoulder,  and,  when  the  fire  streamed  forth, 
the  bird  doubled  up,  riddled  with  shot,  and  pitched 
forward  into  the  weeds.  It  was  a  drake,  and,  al- 
though young,  the  plumage  was  resplendent  with 
the  green,  brown,  and  mottle  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful denizen  of  our  waters — ^the  elegant  wood- 
duck. 

Several  more  rose,  far  out  of  range,  before  the 
lilies  were  passed  and  my  destination  in  the  open 
channel  reached.    Stopping  on  the  brink  of  the  lat- 


35^  t)UCC-SHOOTlNG. 

ter,  to  watch  tlie  flight  of  the  birds,  I  noticed  that 
they  frequently  crossed  a  reedy  island  in  the  middle 
of  the  channel,  and  consequently  proceeded  to  con- 
ceal myself  in  what  among  our  association  is  called 
the  Little  Bunker.  It  was  an  admirable  location ; 
the  channel  on  each  side  did  not  exceed  one  hun- 
dred yards  in  width,  and  the  weather  having  be- 
come thick,  with  an  easterly  wind  blowing  and  a 
slight  rain  driving,  the  promise  of  sport  was  ex- 
cellent. 

Once  fairly  hidden,  and  my  work  commenced ; 
bird  after  bird  and  flock  after  flock  approached, 
and  although  the  boat,  even  while  pressed  in 
among  and  steadied  by  the  stiff  reeds,  was  far 
from  firm,  a  goodly  number  was  soon  collected. 
How  much  more  exhilarating  is  this  noble  sport  as 
it  is  pursued  in  the  West  than  upon  our  Atlantic 
coast,  where,  stretched  upon  his  back  in  a  coffin-like 
battery,  the  sportsman  has  to  lie  for  hours  cooling 
his  heels  and  exhausting  his  patience !  There  he  is 
not  confined  to  one  position;  but,  after  shooting 
down  a  bird,  has  the  excitement  of  pushing  after  it, 
and,  if  it  is  only  wounded,  of  following  it,  perhaps 
in  a  long  chase  before  it  is  retrieved  ;  and  then  he 
must  .make  all  haste  to  return  to  the  hiding-place, 
over  which  the  birds  are  flying  finely  in  his  absence, 
and  thus  he  keeps  up  a  glow  and  fire  of  activity 
and  exercise. 

It  is  a  glorious  sight  to  see  a  noble  flock  of  ducks 
approach;  to  watch  them  with  trembling  alterna- 
tions of  fear  and  hope  as  they  waver  in  their  course, 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  353 

as  they  crowd  together  or  separate,  as  thej  swing 
first  one  flank  of  their  array  forward,  then  the 
other ;  as  they  draw  nearer  and  nearer,  hreathlessly 
to  wait  the  proper  time,  and,  with  quick  eye  and 
sure  aim,  select  a  pair,  or  perhaps  more,  with  each 
barrel.  It  is  still  more  glorious  to  see  them  fall — 
doubled  up  if  killed  dead,  turning  over  and  over 
if  shot  in  the  head,  and  slanting  down  if  only 
wounded,  driving  up  the  spray  in  mimic  fountains 
as  they  strike ;  and  glorious,  too,  the  chase  after 
the  wounded — with  straining  muscles  to  follow  his 
rapid  wake,  and,  when  he  dives,  catching  the  first 
glimpse  of  his  reappearance  to  plant  the  shot  from 
an  extra  gnn  in  a  vital  snot.  Glorious  to  survey 
the  prizes,  glorious  to  think  over  and  relate  the  suc- 
cessful event,  and  glorious  to  listen  to  the  tales  of 
others. 

Sad,  however,  is  it  when  the  flock  turns  off  and 
pushes  far  out  to  the  open  water ;  sadder  still  when 
the  aim  is  not  true  and  the  bird  goes  by  uninjured  ; 
sad  when  the  chase  is  unsuccessful  and  the  weeds 
hide  the  prey,  or  he  dives  to  grasp  a  root  and  never 
reappears ;  and  saddest  of  all  to  fall  overboard  out 
of  your  frail  bark — a  fate  that  sooner  or  later  awaits 
every  one  that  shoots  ducks  from  little  boats. 

I  had  had  all  these  experiences  except  the  last, 
and  almost  that — when  pushing  through  the  weeds, 
my  friend  appeared,  attracted  by  my  rapid  firing, 
and  after  comparing  our  respective  counts,  ensconc- 
ed himself  in  one  of  the  points  opposite  me  on  the 
channel.     By  this  plan  all  birds  that  came  between 


354  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

US  gave  one  or  the  other  a  shot,  and  each  could 
mark  birds  appro.icliing  the  other  from  behind. 

The  morning  passed  rapidly  away  amid  splendid 
shooting,  and  noon  found  us  united  in  my  hiding- 
place  to  eat  a  sociable  meal  together.  During  the 
middle  of  the  day  the  birds  repose,  and  the  sportsman 
employs  the  time  in  satisfying  the  cravings  of  hun- 
ger or  even  in  a  nap,  interrupted  though  he  may  be 
in  either  by  an  occasional  whirr  of  wings,  that,  when 
it  is  too  late,  informs  him  of  lost  opportunities. 

We  talked  over  matters.  As  the  day  had  cleared 
off  and  become  warm,  the  prospect  of  sport  for 
some  hours  at  least  was  over,  and  my  friend  sug- 
gested we  should  visit  the  snipe  ground.  To  ap- 
prove the  suggestion,  to  push  out  and  to  ship  our 
oars,  was  the  work  of  a  moment,  and  we  were 
soon  at  Mud  Creek  bridge,  a  pull  of  about  two  miles 
through  an  open  lead,  from  which  the  ducks  were 
continuously  springing  on  our  approach.  Having 
anchored  our  boats  a  short  distance  from  shore,  to 
prevent  the  wild  hogs  paying  us  a  visit,  we  waded 
to  land,  and  substituting  small  shot  for  the  heavy 
charges  in  our  guns,  walked  a  few  yards  up  the  road 
and  crossed  the  fence. 

I  had  brought  my  setter  with  me,  and  he  had" 
proved  himself  a  model  of  quietness  in  the  boat, 
from  the  bottom  of  which  he  had  raised  his  head 
only  once  all  day  ;  when  my  first  duck  dropped  he 
rose  on  his  haunches,  and  watching  where  it  fell, 
sniffed  at  it  as  I  pushed  up,  and  then,  satisfied  he 
had  no  part  in  such  sport,  lay  down  to  sleep. 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  355 

The  moment  he  touched  land  his  vigor  returned ; 
at  a  motion,  he  darted  out  into  the  meadow  of  alter- 
nating broad  slanks  and  high  field  grass  that  lay  be- 
fore us,  and  ere  he  had  traversed  fifty  yards,  as  he 
approached  an  open  spot,  hesitated,  drew  cautiously, 
and  finally  paused  on  a  firm  point.  Stepping  to  him 
as  fast  as  the  impressible  natui-e  of  the  ground  per- 
mitted, we  flushed  three  birds,  rising  as  they  are  apt 
to  do  one  after  the  other,  and  killed  two.  one  spring- 
ing wide  and  escaping  unshot  at. 

While  going  to  retrieve  the  dead  birds  we  flush- 
ed two  more,  both  of  which  were  bagged,  one  a 
long  shot,  wing-tipped,  and  not  recovered  till  some 
time  afterwards ;  for,  ere  we  reached  him,  we  had 
sprung  a  dozen,  most  of  which  were  duly  accounted 
for.  The  missed  birds,  after  circling  round  high  in 
the  air,  returned  to  the  neighborhood  of  their  origi- 
nal locality,  and  pitching  down  head-foremost,  con- 
cealed themselves  among  the  high  grass  near  enough 
to  lure  us  to  their  pursuit. 

The  walking  was  terribly  hard ;  the  clayey  mud 
uncommonly  tenacious;  the  day  was  already  well 
advanced,  and  splendid  as  was  the  sport,  we  resolv- 
ed, after  having  pi'etty  well  exhausted  ourselves  and 
bagged  twenty-six  birds,  that  we  must  hasten  back 
to  the  rice  swamp,  or  we  should  lose  the  evening's 
shooting. 

"We  returned  to  our  boats,  and  stowing  the  game, 
pulled  with  the  utmost  vigor  down  the  channel  of 
Mud  Creek,  and  in  a  short  time  were  again  hidden 
among  the  high  reeds,  awaiting  the  ducks.     This 


356  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

time  my  friend  selected  a  spot  near  a  sort  of  semi- 
island,  that  was  submerged  or  not,  according  to  the 
state  of  the  water,  and  near  which  was  a  favorite 
roosting-place. 

The  sun  was  leisurely  dropping  down  the  west- 
ern sky,  throwing  his  slanting  rays  across  the  broad 
bay,  and  lighting  up  the  distant  club-house  as  by  a 
fire.  The  fringe  of  land,  trees,  and  bushes,  that 
shut  out  the  horizon  and  rose  but  little  above  the 
water  level,  was  growing  dim  and  hazy  of  outline. 
The  wind  had  died  away;  and  stillness,  but  for  the 
quacking  of  the  ducks;  the  splashing  of  the  coots,  or 
so-called  mud-hens,  and  the  occasional  report  of  a 
gun,  reigned  suj^reme.  A  lethargy  seemed  to  have 
fallen  upon  the  birds ;  a  distant  flock  alone  would  at 
long  intervals  greet  our  eyes,  and  for  some  time  our 
evening's  sport  bade  fair  to  prove  a  failure. 

However,  as  the  sun  was  about  to  sink,  the  birds 
began  to  arrive,  at  first  one  or  two  at  a  time,  then 
more  rapidly  and  in  larger  flocks,  till  at  last  it  was 
one  steady  stream  and  whirr  of  wings.  Faster  than 
we  could  load,  faster  than  we  could  shoot,  or  could 
have  shot  had  we  had  fifty  guns,  from  all  quarters 
and  of  all  kinds  they  streamed  past ;  now  the  sharp 
whistle  of  the  teal,  then  the  rush  of  the  mallard, 
sometimes  high  over  our  heads,  at  others  darting 
close  beside  us ;  by  ones,  by  twos,  by  dozens,  by 
hundreds,  crowded  together  in  masses  or  stretched 
in  open  lines,  in  all  variety  of  ways,  but  in  one  un- 
interrupted flight. 

Such  shooting  rarely  blesses  the  fortunate  sports- 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  35? 

man  ;  we  drove  down  our  charges  as  best  we  could, 
sometimes  having  one  barrel  loaded  or  half  loaded, 
sometimes  the  other,  oftener  neither,  when  we  were 
interrupted  with  such  glorious  chances ;  our  nerves, 
eyes,  and  muscles  were  on  the  strain,  and  to  this  day 
we  have  only  to  regret  that  we  did  not  then  pos- 
sess a  breech-loader. 

The  air  was  alive  with  birds ;  ,the  rustle  of  their 
wings  made  one  continuous  hum  ;  the  heavy  flocks 
appioached  and  passed  us  with  a  sound  like  the 
gusty  breeze  of  an  autumn  night  rattling  through 
the  dying'leaves.  When  the  sun  fled  and  darkness 
seemed  to  spring  up  around  us,  they  appeared  in 
the  most  unexpected  and  bewildering  manner;  at 
one  time  from  out  of  the  glorious  brilliancy  of  the 
western  sky,  then  from  the  deep  gloom  of  the  op- 
posite quarter,  darting  across  us  or  plunging  down 
into  the  weeds  near  by. 

Our  birds  lay  where  they  fell,  and  when  the  ap- 
proaching night  bade  us  depart,  we  retrieved  sixty- 
seven — the  result  of  about  one  hour's  shooting — 
doubtless  losing  numbers  that  were  not  noticed,  or 
which,  being  wounded,  escaped.  Had  we  not  been 
awkward  from  a  year's  idleness,  or  had  we  shot  as 
the  professionals  of  Long  Island  and  each  used  a 
breech-loader,  I  could  hardly  say  how  many  we 
might  not  have  killed.  As  it  was,  the  sport  was  won- 
derful, and  the  result  sufficient  to  satisfy  our  am- 
bition. 

We  lost  no  time  in  escaping  from  the  weeds  into 
the  channel-ways,  whither  the  open-water  ducks — 


358  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

the  red-heads  and  canvas-backs — had  preceded  us, 
and  were  still  directing  their  flight ;  and  then 
started  for  the  few  dim  trees  that  we  knew  sur- 
rounded the  club-house,  rousing  in  our  course  im- 
mense flocks  of  the  worthless  American  coot,  FuUca 
Americana,  the  mud-hen  of  the  natives. 

The  wharf  reached,  the  boats  landed,  supper  over, 
the  birds  counted  and  registered,  the  social  pipe  il- 
lumined, and  we  gathered  in  a  circle  round  the  fire 
of  our  parlor  for  improving  conversation. 

"  How  many  birds  have  we  killed  this  year  ?"  in- 
quired a  member. 

"The  record  shows  a  goodly  total  of  2,351,"  re- 
plied the  Secretary,  turning  to  the  register;  "al- 
most as  many  already  as  the  entire  return  of  last 
season,  during  which  we  only  killed  2,908." 

"And  the  better  varieties  seem  this  year  to  be 
more  numerous." 

"  In  that  particular  there  is  surprising  uniformity 
from  year  to  year.    Last  season  the  return  is  made 
up  as  follows:   canvas-backs,  246;  red-heads,  122 
blue-bills,  395;    mallards,  640;    dusky-ducks,  108 
^vood-ducks,    601  ;    blue-winged   teal,   474 ;    green 
winged  teal,  39;  widgeons,  204;  pin-tails,  50;  gad 
walls,  67  ;  spoonbills,  11;  ruddy-ducks,  2;  butter 
balls,    7  ;     geese,   2  ;    quail,    14  ;    cormorants,   2 
turkeys,  3 ;   great  hell-diver,  1 ;   and  this  year  the 
average  is  about  the  same." 

"But  I  think,"  said  the  President,  "the  canvas- 
backs  and  red-heads  are  earlier  and  better  than 
usual." 


DUCK  SHOOTING.  361 

"They  are  rather  earlier  in  making  their  ap- 
pearance abundantly.  The  A^ariation  is  never  great, 
however,  and  the  birds  appear  in  the  following 
order :  the  wood-ducks  first,  being  plentiful  early  in 
September;  the  blue-winged  teal  begin  to  surpass 
them  about  the  20th  of  that  month,  and  soon  after- 
ward the  mallards  arrive;  Avidgeons  are  abundant 
by  the  middle  of  October,  and  canvas-backs  and 
red-heads  are  the  latest." 

"  Ah,"  burst  forth  the  unlucky  man,  enthusiasti- 
cally, "the  wood-duck  shooting  is  my  favorite; 
when  they  rise  from  the  lilies  they  ai"e  easier  to 
kill  than  when  flying  past  at  full  speed ;  and  you 
have  a  punter  to  pole  the  boat  and  help  mark  the 
wounded  birds." 

"October  has  my  preference,"  responded  the 
President,  with  glowing  eye;  "the  large  ducks — 
the  mallards,  canvas-backs,  and  red-heads — have 
then  arrived ;  the  blue-bills  and  teal  are  numerous ; 
and,  when  a  single  teal  flies  past,  a  man  has  to 
know  how  to  handle  his  gun  to  keel  him  over 
handsomely." 

"  But  mallards  dodge,  when  you  rise  to  shoot,  at 
the  report  of  the  first  barrel;  and  red-heads  and 
canvas-backs,  if  not  killed  stone  dead,  dive  and 
swim  oflf  under  water,  or,  catching  the  weeds  in 
their  bills,  hold  on  after  death  and  never  reappear. 
Have  you  noticed  the  large  teeth,  or  nicks,  in  the 
bills,  especially  of  red-heads  ?  " 

"Yes.  Those  long,  recurved  teeth  aid  them  in 
tearing  up  the  wild  celery,  on  which  they  feed.     I 


362  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

have  had  them  serve  me  the  trick  you  complain  of 
when  they  were  at  the  last  gasp — so  nearly  dead, 
that  I  have  pushed  out  and  been  on  the  point  of 
picking  them  up.  When  not  so  hadly  hurt,  they 
will  swim  off  with  their  bill  only  projecting  above 
the  surface,  and  if  there  is  the  least  wind  this  is 
entirely  invisible.  The  trick  is  known  to  others  of 
the  duck  family;  even  the  ingenuous  wood-duck 
will  have  recourse  to  the  same  mean  subterfuge 
occasionally,  as  one  that  was  but  slightly  wounded 
proved  to  me  to-day." 

"Is  it  true,"  inquired  the  fisherman,  "that  other 
ducks  steal  from  the  canvas-backs  the  wild  celery 
that  they  have  exhausted  themselves  in  procur- 
ing ?  " 

"  The  widgeons  have  the  credit  of  doing  so ;  but 
I  have  never  seen,  and  somewhat  doubt  it.  The 
canvas-back  is  too  large  and  strong  a  duck  to  be 
readily  trifled  with,  and  is  by  no  means  exhausted 
by  diving  to  the  depth  of  a  few  feet  after  celery. 
This  celery,  as  we  call  it — which  has  a  long,  deli- 
cate leaf,  resembling  broad-grass,  and  bears  the 
name  of  Zostera  valisneria  among  the  botanists — 
grows  in  water  about  five  feet  deep,  and  its  roots 
furnish  the  favorite  and  most  fattening  food  of  the 
canvas-backs,  red-heads,  and,  strange  to  say,  mud- 
hens.  The  widgeon  is  not  a  lai'ge  nor  powerful 
duck;  can  dive  no  further  than  to  put  its  head 
under  water,  while  its  tail  stands  perpendicularly" 
above  the  surface ;  and,  although  a  terrible  torment 
to  the  weak  and  gentle  mud-hen,  would  think  twice 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  363 

before  incensing  the  fierce  and  powerful  canvas-back. 
Of  a  calm  day  it  is  amusing  to  watch  the  flocks 
of  noisy  mud-hens,  collected  in  front  of  the  club- 
house, diving  for  their  food,  and  being  robbed  of 
it  by  the  widgeons.  The  latte^  swims  rapidly 
among  them,  and  no  sooner  does  ht  espy  one  com- 
ing to  the  surface,  with  his  bill  full  of  celery,  than 
he  pounces  upon  and  carries  it  oflf.  He  is  watchful 
and  voracious,  and  quickly  devours  the  food ;  while 
the  injured  mud-hen,  with  a  resigned  look,  takes  a 
long  breath  and  dives  for  another  morsel." 

"  Do  they  not  combine  to  drive  the  robber  away  ?" 

"  Occasionally ;  but  he  minds  their  blows  as  little 
as  their  scoldings,  and  generally  swims  off  with  his 
prize.  The  canvas-back,  however,  Avould  soon  teach 
him  better  manners.'' 

"Are  the  western  canvas-backs  as  delicate  and 
high-flavored  as  those  of  the  Chesapeake?" 

"  Fully  so,  as  my  friends  in  New  York,  who  have 
been  fortunate  enough  to  share  my  luck,  have  often 
testified.  Of  course,  when  they  first  come  they  are 
thin  and  pooi",  but  having  the  same  food  as  is  found 
in  the  Chesapeake,  and  being  less  disturbed,  they 
soon  attain  excellent  condition,  and  are  entirely  free 
from  the  slightest  sedgy  flavor." 

"That  sedgy  or  fishy  taste  is  confined  mainly  to 
birds  shot  on  the  salt  water,  and  is  rarely  found  in 
any  birds  killed  upon  the  inland  lakes,  so  that  many 
— ^for  instance  the  bay-snipe — that  are  barely  pass- 
able when  shot  along  the  coast,  are  excellent  in  the 
interior." 


364  DUCK  SHOOTING. 

"And  yet  the  naturalists  class  the  canvas-back 
nmong  fuligulce,  or  sea  ducks." 

"  That  arises  from  some  scientific  peculiarity,  and 
is  not  universal.  He  is  certainly  a  fresh-water  duck, 
and  thousands  are  shot  here  yearly." 

"1  lose  a  great  many  crippled  birds,"  said  the 
unlucky  man,  meditatively ;  "  I  wonder  what  be- 
comes of  them  all  ?" 

"Many  die,  a  few  recover,  some  are  frozen  in 
when  the  bay  freezes  over ;  after  the  first  hard  frost 
large  numbers  can  be  picked  up,  but  they  are  so  poor 
as  Only  to  be  fit  to  send  to  the  New  York  market. 
Most  sportsmen  lose  many  ducks  that  they  should 
recover ;  considerable  practice  is  required  to  mark 
well,  but  the  search  after  a  bird  should  be  thorough, 
and  not  lightly  abandoned.  The  boat,  when  pushed 
into  the  reeds,  must  be  so  placed  that  it  can  be  easily 
shoved  off,  and  the  pole  kept  ready  for  instant  use. 
If,  however,  a  mallard  is  only  wounded,  and  falls 
into  the  weeds,  it  is  useless  to  go  after  him. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  if  a  canvas-back,  but  slightly 
touched,  falls  in  open  water,  he  will  be  rarely  reco- 
vered ;  the  one  hides  in  the  weeds,  the  other  dives 
and  swims  under  water  prodigiously.  The  mallard 
and  canvas-back  are  the  types  of  two  classes — the 
former  is  a  marsh  duck,  the  latter  an  open-water 
duck.  The  mallard  lives  on  the  pond-lily  seeds,  and 
affects  the  shallow,  muddy  pond-holes ;  the  canvas- 
back  seeks  the  broad  channels,  and  devours  the 
roots  of  plants ;  the  one  dodges  at  the  flash  of  the 
gun  or  sight  of  the  sportsman,  the  other  moves  ma- 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  365 

jestically  onward,  regardless  of  the  havoc  that  the 
heavy  discharges  make  in  his  ranks.  Of  nearly  the 
same  size,  of  unsurpassable  delicacy  on  the  table,  of 
equal  vigor,  they  differ  utterly  in  their  habits." 

"  Speaking  of  types,"  said  the  unlucky  man,  re- 
calling unpleasant  reminiscences  of  numerous  misses, 
"  you  might  call  blue-bills  types  of  the  fast-flying 
and  dodging  ducks.  When  they  come  down  before 
a  stiff  wind,  and  are  making  their  best  time,  light- 
ning is  slow  by  comparison,  and  shot  does  not  seem 
to  me  to  go  quite  fast  enough." 

"  They  are  the  scaup  or  broad-bill  of  the  East,  Fu- 
ligula  Jfarila,  and  are  aptly  termed  the  bullet-Avinged 
duck.  They  are  undoubtedly  the  most  difticult  duck 
to  kill  that  flies.  I  have  known  a  thorough  sports- 
man and  excellent  shot  on  quail,  shoot  all  day  at 
them  without  killing  one.  You  must  make  great 
allowance  for  their  speed." 

"And,  moreover,"  added  the  President,  "  you  must 
load  properly;  there  must  be  powder  enough  behind 
the  shot  to  send  it  clear  through  the  bird ;  one  pellet 
driven  in  that  way  will  kill  a  bii'd  that  would  carry 
off  a  dozen  lodged  beneath  the  skin  or  in  the  flesh." 

"  Perhaps  so,  but  T  doxibt  its  feasibility,"  was  the 
response ;  "  no  small  shot  was  ever,  in  my  opinion, 
driven  through  the  body  of  a  duck  with  any  charge 
of  powder  at  over  thirty  yards.  I  use  light  powder 
and  plenty  of  shot." 

This  announcement  was  received  with  unanimous 
dissent,  and  the  President  expressed  the  general 
feeling  when  he  continued — 


3G6  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

"Heavy  shot  will  make  a  gun  recoil  painfully; 
but  if  the  shot  is  light  the  charge  of  powder  may 
be  large  without  producing  unpleasant  effects ;  the 
shot  will  be  driven  quick  and  strong,  and  the  bird 
deprived  of  life  instantaneously.  Perhaps  the  pellets 
are  not  driven  through  the  body,  but  the  blow  is 
severer  and  the  shock  is  more  stunning.  I  use  one 
ounce  of  shot  and  three  drachms  of  powder,  and 
would  prefer  to  increase  rather  than  diminish  the 
powder.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  powder  does 
not  burn  because  black  particles  fall  to  the  ground 
if  it  is  fired  over  snow  or  white  paper ;  these,  I  take 
it,  are  flakes  of  charcoal  and  not  powder,  and  some 
will  fall,  no  matter  how  light  may  be  the  load." 

"  For  my  part,"  persisted  the  milucky  man,  "  I 
think  the  crippling  of  birds  arises  from  our  inability 
to  judge  distances,  and  from  our  firing  at  birds  out 
of  reasonable  range.  The  patent  breech  was  meant 
to  remedy  the  necessity  for  such  heavy  charges  of 
powder  as  are  used  in  the  old-fashioned  flint-locks. 
Johnston,  the  author  of  an  admirable  treatise  on 
shooting,  which  is  now  out  of  print,  is  my  authority, 
and  he  says  that  an  over-charge  of  powder  makes  a 
gun  scatter  prodigiously  without  adding  proportion- 
ately to  the  force." 

"  That  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  bore," 
answered  the  Secretary ;  "if  it  is  relieved  at  the 
breech,  and  after  narrowing  above,  made  a  perfect 
cylinder  towards  the  muzzle,  the  more  the  powder 
the  better  it  will  shoot." 

Seeing  that  an  interminable  discussion  was  about 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  367 

to  open,  branching  off,  in  all  likelihood,  into  the 
comparative  qualities  of  powder  and  manufactures 
of  guns,  the  President  interposed. 

I  slipped  oif  and  went  to  bed.  Being  a  compara- 
tive stranger  at  the  club  house,  for  this  was  the  first 
year  of  my  membership,  I  had  made  it  a  rule  to  fol- 
low the  advice  and  direction  of  the  older  habitues, 
but  I  wanted  to  get  a  chance  to  try  some  experi- 
ments of  my  own.  This  would  require  a  little  prep- 
aration for  which  I  needed  the  early  hours  before 
the  others  should  be  up. 

As  I  have  said,  the  members  were  not  at  the  time 
of  which  I  am  writing  in  the  habit  of  using  de- 
coys. There  was  a  prejudice  against  them,  their 
weight  in  the  boat  was  an  admitted  disadvantage, 
which  it  was  claimed  was  not  compensated  by  any 
corresponding  benefit.  My  experience  in  a  country 
where  birds  were  not  so  plenty,  assured  me  that 
this  was  a  mistake,  but  having  come  to  the  club 
house  unexpectedly,  I  had  not  brought  my  decoys 
with  me,  and  had  to  rely  upon  such  substitutes  as 
could  be  got  up  on  the  spur  of  tlie  moment.  It 
was  with  the  intention  of  preparing  these  that  I 
retired  so  early. 

In  those  ancient  days  of  "Western  civilization,  it 
was  the  habit  not  only  to  put  several  beds  in  one 
room,  but  often  to  devote  one  bed  to  the  accommo- 
dation of  two  men,  but  by  being  content  with  a 
yery  small  apartment,  I  had  succeeded  in  getting  a 
room  all  to  myself.  The  bedstead  was  nothing 
more  than  a  cot,  none  too  long  and  by  no  means 


368  DUCK-SHOOTIlfG. 

too  wide.  There  was  a  feather  bed  on  it,  a  couch 
we  Eastern  people  do  not  always  approTe,  but  which 
has  its  compensations  of  a  cold  night  in  a  loosely 
framed  house.  When  I  had  once  felt  the  insidious 
wind  creeping  down  my  back  where  the  clothes  left 
an  open  place  for  it,  I  learned  the  superiority  of  ex- 
perience to  theory.  I  slept,  however,  as  only  the 
just  and  the  sportsman  sleep,  my  head  dropping 
into  unconsciousness  as  it  touched  the  pillow,  and 
never  returning  to  it  until  the  daylight  penetrated 
the  open  window  with  its  welcome  rays — sleep 
without  a  dream,  such  as  youth  and  health  and 
tired  nature  only  know. 

Next  morning  I  borrowed  a  saw  and  a  hatchet, 
all  the  tools  that  the  place  boasted,  and  fashioned  as 
best  I  could  some  floats.  These  I  carefully  conceal- 
ed in  my  boat,  and  said  nothing  about  them.  After 
breakfast,  when  we  pushed  off,  I  took  my  course 
alone.  I  went  pretty  well  up  into  tlie  marsh,  in  fact 
as  far  as  in  my  ignorance  of  the  intricacies  of  the 
swamp  I  dared.  I  chose  a  point  between  two  creeks, 
and  going  carefully  into  my  blind  from  behind,  so 
as  not  to  break  it  down  in  front,  ajsrecaution  Avhich 
I  observed  most  of  the  sportsmen  neglected,  I  con- 
cealed myself,  and  waited  the  course  of  events. 
Mere  waiting  never  suited  my  views,  but  on  this  oc- 
casion there  was  nothing  else  to  do.  It  Avas  some 
time  before  I  killed  a  duck,  and  I  was  wondering 
whether  I  should  have  any  opportunity  to  try  my 
floats,  when  a  solitary  mallard  came  within  long 
range,  and  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  bag  him. 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  369 

It  was  a  beginning,  I  set  liim  on  one  of  the  blocks 
of  wood  I  liad  roughly  trimmed  into  shape  that 
morning,  I  had  noticed  the  day  before  that  the 
water  was  too  deep  to  set  up  a  dead  duck  in  the  or- 
dinary way.  Neither  had  I  been  able  to  find  weights 
of  half  bricks,  which  arc  the  main  reliance  of  the 
Long  Island  gunner,  or  stones,  which  were  an  un- 
known quantity  in  that  muddy  country.  So  the 
best  I  could  do,  was,  to  thrust  down  a  long  reed  with 
a  string  tied  to  it  at  the  proper  distance  from  the 
bottom.  My  decoy  Avas  not  as  natural  as  I  could 
have  made  it  with  better  appliances,  but  it  was  the 
best  I  could  manufacture,  and  it  did  some  service. 
In  less  than  five  minutes  it  was  joined  by  another 
mallard,  which  first  came  to  look,  and  was  then  per- 
suaded to  stay  by  the  gentle  influence  of  an  ounce 
and  a  half  of  shot. 

In  a  short  time  all  my  floats  were  occupied,  and 
although  they  bothered  me,  and  wasted  my  time  by 
breaking  away  in  consequence  of  not  being  properly 
arranged,  they  brouglit  me,  I  do  not  doubt,  twice  as 
many  birds  as  I  should  have  got  without  them.  I 
have  much  faith  in  being  well  hidden.  For  black 
ducks,  which  are  the  most  wary,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  not  to  disturb  a  leaf  that  their  sharp  eyes 
will  notice.  If  the  reeds  are  thick  enough  of  them- 
selves to  conceal  the  shooter,  do  not  either  add  to 
them  or  break  them  down.  I  have  seen  blinds 
built  up,  till  they  looked  like  straw  mattresses  set 
on  end,  of  which  the  birds  would  be  more  shy  than  of 
the  man  himself.     I  was  killing  shoal-water  ducks. 


370  DUCK-SHOOTIXG. 

not  of  course  getting  canvas-backs,  red-heads,  or 
broad-bills  so  far  back  in  the  marsh,  and  it  was  not 
desirable  to  have  many  stools  for  the  same  reason 
that  it  is  not  right  to  have  too  large  a  blind,  they 
are  apt  to  awaken  suspicion. 

One  great  improvement  noticeable  after  the  de- 
coys were  set  out  was,  that  the  birds  came  in  closer, 
and  gave  me  better  shots.  Without  them  there  is 
•nothing  to  attract  the  ducks  out  of  their  line  of 
flight,  they  drive  straight  along,  perhaps  in  a  direc- 
tion to  bring  them  to  the  gunner,  more  likely 
not,  but  if  there  are  a  few  decoys,  they  will  at  least 
make  a  dash  toward  the  stand.  Situated  as  I  was, 
surrounded  almost  entirely  with  marsh,  only  a  little 
open  water  on  front  and  on  either  side  of  me,  I  felt 
the  want  of  a  dog  sadly.  My  setter,  which  I  had 
brought  from  the  East  solely  for  snipe  shooting,  had 
shown  himself  on  the  day  before  so  utterly  worthless 
as  a  retriever,  that  I  had  not  taken  him  with  me 
again.  Many  of  my  ducks  fell  into  the  reeds,  and 
if  they  were  killed  dead,  they  were  hard  to  find,  and 
if  they  had  the  least  life  in  them,  they  would  crawl 
away,  and  sneak  so  effectually  that  if  I  got  them  at 
all  it  would  be  after  I  had  wasted  much  yaluable 
time.  Had  my  retriever  been  with  me,  I  am  sure 
that  I  should  have  doubled  my  bag. 

Of  all  the  retrievers  which  have  ever  been  used 
in  this  country,  none  equal  those  which  are  called 
the  Chesapeake  Bay  dogs.  Their  hair  is  so  thick 
and  matted  that  they  can  stand  any  amount  of  cold 
without  suffering,  they  are  capital  swimmers,  and  I 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  371 

have  seen  them  dive  for  a  wounded  duck,  and  they 
seem  to  have  an  adaptation  for  this  shooting,  devel- 
oped perhaps  by  generations  of  training,  which  no 
other  dogs  possess.  On  one  occasion  I  remember 
taking  out  a  pup  for  the  second  time  that  he  had 
ever  been  shot  over.  He  was  so  eager  that  I  had  to 
tie  him  in  the  blind,  and  only  let  him  loose  after  a 
bird  had  been  shot  down.  Yet  on  that  day  I  saw 
him  recover  a  wounded  duck  after  following  him 
half  a  mile,  twice  drop  a  dead  one  which  he  had  in 
his  mouth,  to  bring  a  live  one,  and  jump  on  another 
and  hold  him  with  his  paws  till  he  could  reach  him 
by  putting  his  head  entirely  under  water.  The 
wonderful  instances  of  intelligence  reported  of  this 
breed  would  be  incredible,  if  something  only  a  little 
less  astonishing  were  not  known  to  every  man  wbo 
has  owned  one. 

On  this  occasion  I  did  not  have  my  dog,  and 
much  was  the  time  and  many  the  duck  I  lost  in 
consequence.  It  seemed  as  though  most  of  those 
which  were  killed  dead,  fell  into  the  marsh  where  I 
could  not  find  the  half  of  them,  and  that  the 
wounded  fell  into  the  open  water,  whence  they  made 
their  way  to  cover,  before  I  could  run  the  boat  out 
and  pick  them  up.  The  sun  was  shining  brightly 
from  a  cloudless  heaven,  and  although  the  air  was 
cold,  I  was  so  sheltered  by  the  reeds  that  I  was 
as  warm  as  I  desired  to  be.  That  is  one  of  the 
points  of  superiority  of  inland  over  battery  shoot- 
ing ;  had  I  been  lying  in  the  battery  with  the  same 
wind,  no  amount  of  sun  would  have  kept  me  warm. 


372  DUCK-SHOOTIKG. 

I  had  to  pick  up  early,  as  it  would  be  no  joke  to 
be  lost  in  those  monotonous  marshes  during  the 
night.  To  get  out  after  dark  would  have  been  im- 
possible, and  almost  equally  imj)ossible  for  any 
assistance  to  reach  me.  1  was  fain  to  be  satisfied 
with  a  moderate  bag,  and  lose  the  evening's  flight 
rather  than  lose  myself.  When  I  arrived  at  the 
club  house,  I  found  that  with  the  aid  of  my  impro- 
vised stools  I  had  made  the  second-best  bag  of  the 
day.  Comparative  stranger  as  I  was  to  the  marshes, 
this  result  was  more  than  satisfactory.  My  supper 
tasted  all  the  better  in  consequence,  but  I  did  not 
say  anything  about  the  means  which  I  had  taken  to 
bring  about  the  result. 

That  evening,  when  we  had  collected  around  the 
social  fire  and  lighted  our  still  more  social  pipes, 
the  president  referred  to  the  fact  that  the  night 
before,  after  I  had  gone  to  my  welcome  couch,  the 
rest  of  the  members  had  been  repeating  stories  and 
called  upon  the  unlucky  man  to  fulfill  a  promise  he 
had  made  to  give  some  personal  experience  of  trout 
fishing. 

Unlucky  Mxn. — "But  my  adventure  occurred 
on  Long  Island,  whither  I  had  gone  to  learn  trout- 
fishing.  I  had  a  new  rod  of  Conroy's  best  and  most 
expensive  pattern,  a  book  full  of  flies,  a  basket,  a 
bait-box,  a  net,  a  gaff,  and  all  tilings  appurtenant, 
and  Avas  especially  proud  of  my  fishing  suit,  which  a 
brother  of  the  angle  had  kindly  selected  for  me.  My 
boots  came  above  my  knees,  and  were  of  yellow  Eus- 
sian  leather,  with  which  my  brown  pants  matched  ad- 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  373 

mirably,  while  a  blue  vest,  a  white  flannel  coat,  red 
neck-tie  and  crimson  cap,  combined  all  the  colors 
that  were  least  likely  to  alarm  tlie  fish. 

"  The  other  anglers  collected  at  the  hotel  kindly 
aided  me  with  their  advice,  for  which  I  was  truly 
grateful.  They  rigged  out  my  leader  with  flies, 
and  convincingly  proving  that  the  more  flies  used 
the  more  fisli  must  be  taken,  fastened  on  thirteen. 
Conroy  had  hardly  served  me  fairly  in  selecting  my 
assortment,  for  they  were  pronounced  by  all  not  to 
be  half  large  or  bright  enough.  It  was  clear  that  the 
larger  the  fly  the  easier  the  fish  could  see  it,  and  the 
more  surely  it  Avould  catch ;  so  they  loaned  me  a 
number,  principally  yellow,  green,  and  blue,  which 
was  the  more  generous  of  them,  as  they  had  but  few 
of  the  same  sort  themselves. 

"  They  impressed  upon  me  to  be  up  early,  because 
trout  will  not  bite  after  sunrise — besides,  I  knew 
from  the  proverb  that  worms  were  more  easily  ob- 
tained early;  and  it  was  still  dark  when,  having 
passed  a  restless  few  hours,  I  awoke  and  dressed. 
The  house  was  silent,  not  a  person  to  interfere  with 
me,  and  having  set  up  my  rod  the  niglit  before,  I 
crept  cautiously  down  stairs.  The  tip  would  slash 
about  and  knock  at  the  doors  and  on  the  walls  as  I 
passed,  and  gave  me  great  trouble  in  turning  the 
corners  of  the  stairs,  but  I  reached  the  hall  door 
safely  and  stepped  ont  upon  the  piazza. 

"  I  had  hardly  congratulated  myself,  when,  hear- 
ing a  suspicious  growl,  and  recollecting  that  the 
tavern-keeper  had  a  cress  mastiff,  I  turned,  and  saw 


374  DUCK  SHOOTING. 

him  in  the  dim  light  making  straight  for  me.  Run' 
ning  was  never  my  forte,  but,  gentlemen,  my  speed 
round  that  house  with  that  mastiff  after  me  has 
rarely  been  equalled ;  he  kept  it  up  well,  however, 
and  if  he  could  have  turned  a  corner  readily,  would 
have  caught  me.  Recovering  my  presence  of  mind 
in  the  third  round,  I  darted  through  the  hall  door, 
and  slamming  it  to  behind  me,  heard  my  enemy 
bounce  against  it,  and  after  a  growl  and  a  sniff  or 
two,  turn  away  in  disgust. 

"  Upon  regaining  my  breath,  I  ascended  to  my 
room,  and  loading  the  revolver  which  I  always  carry 
on  dangerous  journeys,  returned  to  the  attack,  de- 
termined on  revenge.  Strange  to  say,  however,  the 
cowardly  beast,  the  moment  the  pistol  was  presented 
at  him,  uttered  a  low  whine  and  shrank  away.  Dis- 
gusted with  his  cowardice,  I  seized  up  my  rod,  which 
had  been  dropped  in  my  first  flight,  and  pursuing 
him  hoAvling  piteously  three  times  round  the  house, 
laid  it  on  him  soundly. 

"It  must  have  been  poor  stuff,  for  the  tip  broke. 
Conroy  mepded  it  afterwards,  without  charge, 
when  I  told  him  the  circumstances.  But  I  put  in 
a  spare  one,  and  having  dug  my  box  full  of  worms, 
went  to  the  shed  where  my  horse  was  left  stand- 
ing, ready  harnessed,  from  the  night  before.  There 
is  nothing  like  attention  to  these  little  matters  in 
time  ;^  for,  if  the  hostler  had  had  to  harness  him,  he 
might  have  detained  me  many  precious  minutes. 

"A  half-hour's  drive  soon  brought  me  to  the 
pond,  and,  after  hitching  the  animal  to  the  fence — 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  375 

for  it  was  necessary  to  turn  into  the  field  from  the 
main  road — I  walked  down  to  the  bank  and  jumped 
into  a  boat.  Unfortunately,  it  was  chained  to  a 
staple  and  padlocked;  the  inn-keeper  had  forgotten 
to  give  me  the  key.  They  were  all  the  same  but 
one,  lying  on  the  shore  and  turned  bottom  up,  that 
did  not  seem  to  be  sound.  No  time,  however,  was 
to  be  lost ;  the  streaks  in  the  east  were  beginning 
to  turn  red — an  indication  that  the  sun  was  rising — 
and  the  hour  for  fishing  Avould  soon  be  over.  I 
launched  the  boat,  such  as  it  was,  and  pushed  off*. 

"  Casting  the  fly  is  difficult,  but  casting  thirteen 
flies  is  almost  impossible.  The  boat  was  leaky ;  tho 
fish  did  not  rise,  and  the  water  did.  I  bailed  as 
well  as  I  could  with  one  hand,  and  fished  with  the 
other,  till  at  last,  almost  exhausted,  I  saw  the  sun 
rise.  As  a  desperate  resource,  however,  the  bait- 
box  came  into  play.  I  removed  the  flies  and  substi- 
tuted a  hook  and  worm ;  but  while  thus  employed, 
and  unable  to  bail,  the  water  gained  on  me  rapidly. 
Hardly  had  the  bait  touched  the  water  before  a  fine 
fish  seized  it.  I  tried  my  best  to  pull  him  out,  but 
he  would  not  come — the  rod  was  such  a  miserable, 
weak  affjiir  that  it  bent  like  a  switch.  The  trout 
swam  about  in  every  direction,  and  tried  to  get 
under  stumps  and  weeds  and  to  break  my  line ;  but 
I  held  him  fast  and  i-eeled  in — ^for  my  friends  had 
explained  to  me  what  the  reel  was  for — and  was 
about  to  lay  down  my  rod  and  fish  him  out  with 
the  landing-net,  when — the  boat  sank.'' 

Chorus — "  Could  you  swim  ? '' 


376  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

"  No ;  but  the  water  was  only  up  to  ray  arm-pits, 
and  I  was  about  to  wade  ashore,  when  a  colored 
gentleman,  who  had  arrived  and  been  sitting  on  the 
bank  for  the  last  few  minutes,  shouted  to  me  that  it 
was  his  boat  and  I  must  bring  it  with  me.  I  an- 
swered, savagely,  that  I  would  do  nothing  of  the 
sort,  when  he  began  to  abuse  me  and  call  me  thief, 
and  say  I  had  stolen  his  boat,  and  he  would  have 
me  arrested.  So  I  thought  I  had  better  comply, 
and  waded  along,  dragging  it  after  me.  The  bot- 
tom was  muddy,  and  I  slipped  once  or  twice 
and  went  all  under.  It  was  probably  then  that 
the  fish  got  off;  but  my  colored  friend  took  pity 
on  me,  and  pointed  out  to  me  the  best  places  to 
walk. 

"I  was  nearly  ashore,  and  had  clambered  upon  a 
bog,  as  the  gentleman  advised,  and,  by  his  direction, 
I  jumped  to  a  piece  of  nice-looking  green  grass.  I 
have  always  thought  he  deceived  me  in  this,  for  it 
turned  out  to  be  a  quagmire,  and  I  sank  at  once 
above  my  waist  in  solid,  sticky  mud.  The  matter 
now  became  serious;  my  weight  is  no  trifle,  and 
every  motion  sank  me  deeper  and  deeper.  I  im- 
plored the  colored  man  to  help  me  out ;  to  wade  in 
to  me,  and  let  me  climb  on  his  back ;  I  offered  him 
money  profusely ;  and — would  you  believe  it  ? — he 
laughed,  he  roared,  he  shouted,  he  i-olled  over  in  an 
agony  of  mirth.  He  asked  me  whether  I  was  afraid 
to  die — that  only  cowards  were  afraid  to  die.  I 
did  not  dare  to  say  no,  lest  he  should  take  me  at 
my  word,  and  was  ashamed  to  say  yes ;  but,  as  I 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  377 

kept  on  sinking,  I  had  to  own  up  that  I  was  afraid, 
and  then  he  only  laughed  louder  than  ever. 

"  My  feelings  were  beyond  description — fury  does 
not  adequately  describe  my  rage ;  but  fear  so  tem- 
pered it,  that  I  seemed  to  change  suddenly  from 
the  extreme  of  heat  to  the  extreme  of  cold.  I 
would  begin  by  swearing  at  him,  and  end  by  im- 
ploring ;  I  begged,  cursed,  prayed,  and  raved. 
Overcome  by  his  unrestrained  delight,  at  last  I 
threatened — pouring  out  upon  him  the  vilest  abuse, 
and  dire  menaces  of  what  I  would  do  when  I  did 
get  out.  The  prospect  of  that,  however,  raj)idly 
diminished — the  nasty,  slimy  mud  rose  by  percep- 
tible degrees — and  then  he  made  me  take  back  all 
my  threats  and  apologize  to  him.  In  the  agony  of 
my  returning  terror,  he  actually  made  me  beg  his. 
pardon. 

"  When,  however,  hope  was  nearly  over  with  me, 
he  slowly,  with  maddening  deliberation,  took  a  rnil 
from  the  nearest  fence,  and,  interspersing  the  opera- 
tion with  much  improving  advice,  began  to  pry  me 
out.  As  I  rose  towards  the  upper  world  my  courage 
returned,  and  my  revenge  was  merely  waiting  till 
ray  body  touched  terra  firma  to  take  ample  amends. 
Even  that  satisfaction  was  destined  to  disappoint- 
ment ;  for  when  I  was  so  far  out,  that  with  the  aid 
of  the  rail  I  could  help  myself,  he  dropped  it,  and, 
suspecting  my  intention,  he  scuttled  off  as  fast  as 
his  black  legs  would  carry  hira. 

"  What  an  object  I  presented  after  effecting  my 
escape — from  head  to  foot  one  mass  of  mud;  my 


378  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

handsome  clothes,  ray  hands  and  face,  all  blacker 
than  my  ebony  friend,  and  stiff  and  heavy  with  the 
noisome  conglomeration.  After  resting  for  a  few 
minutes,  I  gathered  up  my  rod  and  started  for  the 
wagon,  when  what  should  I  see  in  the  other  end  of 
the  lot  but  a  bull.  A  single  glance  showed  me 
what  I  had  to  expect ;  no  bull  could  stand  such  an 
object  as  I  was.  I  ran  and  he  ran.  I  made  for  the 
wagon  and  he  after  me.  Such  a  picture  as  I  must 
have  presented,  flying  from  an  infuriate  bull,  may 
seem  funny  to  you,  gentlemen,  but  was  not  to  me. 
We  both  reached  the  wagon  and  both  went  into  it 
together — I  into  the  seat,  he  into  the  body;  the  re- 
sult being  that  I  went  flying  out  again,  on  the  other 
side,  over  the  fence.  The  horse,  which  at  that  mo- 
ment must  have  been  dreaming,  or  sleeping  the  sleep 
he  did  not  have  the  night  before,  aroused  by  the  crash, 
cast  one  look  behind  and  burst  his  bonds  and  fled. 

"It  was  a  long  walk  home  ;  people  looked 
strangely  at  me  on  the  Avay,  and  some  unfeeling 
ones  laughed.  My  wagon  was  broken,  my  horse 
was  ruined,  my  clothes  were  spoiled ;  and  tha  only 
consolation  I  had,  was  that  my  brother  anglers  at 
the  hotel  felt  and  expressed  such  intense  sympathy 
for  my  sufferings." 

The  resigned  tones  and  manner  of  the  speaker 
were  inimitable,  and  his  story  was  received  with 
great  satisfaction  and  closed  the  evening's  amuse- 
ments. All  parties  having  resolved  upon  an  early 
start,  retired  early,  and  enjoyed  a  rest  such  as  the 
sportsman  only  knows. 


DUCK-SnOOTING.  379 

One  of  the  attaches  of  our  club-house,  without 
whom  it  would  be  deprived  of  many  pleasant  fea- 
tures, and  who  is  a  remarkable  and  eccentric 
character,  is  called  Henry — a  Canadian  Frenchman. 
He  possesses  the  lightheartedness,  the  honesty 
and  trustworthiness  of  that  peculiar  class,  with  the 
strongest  prejudices  against  mean  and  underhanded 
actions  and  those  who  are  guilty  of  them  ;  he  is,  in 
his  own  obstinate  way,  devoted  to  the  service  of 
those  who  enjoy  his  esteem.  Animated  with  strong 
dislikes,  he  is  barely  polite  to  those  who  have  ex- 
cited his  distrust,  Avhile  he  will  do  anything  for  his 
favorites.  He  is  a  good  shot,  and  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  marsh  and  the  habits  of  the 
birds,  but  on  no  terms  will  he  make  any  sugges- 
tions as  to  the  most  promising  localities.  To  the 
question,  no  matter  how  casually  or  confidingly 
uttered : 

"  Well,  Henry,  where  had  I  better  go,  to-day  ?  " 
He  will  respond,  looking  you  calmly  in  the  face, 
and  in  a  slightly  admonitory  tone : 

"  You  know  I  never  give  advice,  sir." 

His  greatest  favorites  can  obtain  no  more  satisfac- 
tory answer,  and  in  fact  not  much  information  of 
any  kind,  from  him  in  relation  to  the  flight  or 
haunts  of  the  birds.  He  appears  to  have  dis- 
covered that  knowledge  worth  having  is  worth 
working  for,  and  is  resolved  that  every  man  shall 
be  his  own  schoolmaster.  He  has  quite  an  insight 
into  character,  and  appreciates  the  members  of  the 
club  and  their  peculiarities. 


380  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

One  day  a  party,  including  a  number  who  were 
not  members,  had  been  snipe-shooting,  and  some 
of  the  latter  indulged  the  habit  of  pushing  on  be- 
fore their  neighbor  to  shoot  any  bird  they  may  have 
seen  alight,  or  had  reason  to  believe  was  upon  his 
beat.  Afterwards  Henry  remarked,  as  a  sort  of  so- 
liloquy, "  He  was  a  poor  man — did  not  have  much 
education,  and  supposed  he  did  not  know ;  but  he 
did  not  think  it  right  for  one  sportsman  to  run  in 
ahead  of  another  in  order  to  shoot  a  bird  before 
him.  Probably  he  was  wrong;  but  that  was  the 
way  he  felt,  and  could  not  help  it." 

It  was  this  cui'ious  individual  who  waked  us  the 
next  morning  at  an  hour  before  daylight,  and  enjoyed 
heartily  the  satisfaction  of  rousing  us  up  at  that  un- 
seemly time.  We  were  no  way  loth,  however,  and 
hastily  swallowing  our  breakfasts  and  launching  our 
boats,  pushed  out  under  cover  of  the  darkness  for 
our  respective  points.  As  yet  the  water  and  land 
were  scarcely  distinguishable,  and  localities  could 
only  be  determined  by  intuition.  Night  was  still 
brooding  with  outstretched  wings  on  the  earth ;  the 
sky  seemed  to  be  close  overhead,  and  the  clouds 
could  not  be  distinguished  from  the  open  heavens. 
Slowly,  however,  the  outlines  of  the  horizon  be- 
came apparent ;  then  the  heavy  masses  of  lowering 
cloud  that  hung  in  the  eastern  sky,  and  left  a  nar- 
row, transparent  strip  of  light  between  themselves 
and  the  horizon,  came  out  in  strong  relief;  the  stars 
faded  and  turned  dim ;  trees,  bushes,  and  distant 
elevations — the     minutiae    of    the    landscape — ap- 


DUCK- SHOOTING.  381 

peared  ;  long  lines  of  sedgc-grass  and  reeds  sprang 
up  from  the  water ;  the  eastern  sky,  and  especially 
the  bright  strip  beneath  the  cloud,  became  lighter ; 
a  roseate  tinge  spread  itself  over  the  meadows, 
deepening  to  intensity  in  the  east,  and  at  last  the 
Bun  peeped  over  the  horizon. 

Occasionally  ducks  will  move  at  the  first  break 
of  dawn  ;  but  frequently,  as  in  the  present  instance, 
they  do  not  fly  till  about  sunrise  ;  then  the  canvas- 
backs  commenced  coming  in  from  the  open  water ; 
the  red-heads  accompanied  them ;  and  the  mallards, 
aroused  from  safe  beds  among  the  reeds,  flew  with 
loud  quackings  overhead.  Later,  the  rapid  blue- 
bills  and  teal  darted  past,  the  pin-tails  moved 
majestically  in  stately  lines,  and  the  diminutive 
butter-balls  hurried  by.  The  rising  sun  dissipated 
the  clouds,  and  the  increasing  wind  announced  a 
glorious  ducking-day. 

To  enjoy  this  sport  thoroughly,  or  to  make  the 
most  of  the  chances  offered,  requires  long  practice 
and  peculiar  skill ;  but,  when  this  skill  has  been  ac- 
quired, no  specialty  in  sportmanship  can  be  carried 
to  higher  perfection,  or  confer  more  intense  delight. 
To  observe  quickly  and  note  the  direction  of  flight 
of  the  distant  flock ;  to  catch  sight  of  the  single 
bird  just  topping  the  reeds;  to  hide  well  from  the 
sharp  eyes  of  the  approaching  ducks ;  to  keep  a 
steady  footing,  yielding  to  the  treacherous  motions 
of  the  unsteady  boat  without  losing  self-command ; 
to  measure  the  distance  accurately  from  birds  pass- 
ing high  in  air;   to  select  the  proper  moment  to 


382  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

fire,  and  to  determine  correctly  the  speed  of  the 
moving  object ;  to  do  all  these  things  at  once,  with- 
out hesitation  or  failure  in  any  particular,  requires 
in  a  man  the  highest  qualities  of  a  sportsman.  The 
wonder  is  that  success  is  so  often  attained  ;  for  there 
are  many  men  who  will  kill  almost  every  bird  that 
comes  fairly  within  range,  and  who  will  tell  you  before 
they  shoot  whether  they  are  sure  of  killing  or  not. 

Unfortunately  our  party,  although  tolerably  pro- 
ficient, were  far  from  perfect.  Many  were  the  fair 
shots  missed,  or  only  half  hit,  and  more  still  were 
the  impossible  shots  that  were  wasted.  The  wdnd 
drove  the  birds  upon  the  long  neck  of  reeds  called 
Grassy  Point,  where  several  of  us  had  located 
ourselves,  and  the  river-scows,  or  small  boats,  oc- 
casionally passing  kept  them  in  motion. 

During  the  morning  several  flocks  of  swans  were 
seen,  looking,  when  they  passed  in  front  of  a  dark 
cloud,  like  flying  snow-flakes.  Although  somewhat 
resembling  the  appearance  of  geese,  at  a  distance, 
the  beat  of  their  wings  and  their  trumpet-voiced 
cry  are  altogether  dijBferent.  They  were  very  shy, 
keeping  far  out  of  range ;  but  excited  our  nerves 
at  the  mere  thought  of  what  glory  would  be  con- 
ferred if  they  should  happen  to  come  within  the 
proper  distance. 

One  of  our  party,  however,  acquired  but  little 
credit  by  a  shot  which  he  made  at  a  flock  of  geese 
that  passed  within  twenty  yards  of  him.  He  was 
of  Milesian  descent,  and  explained  the  occurrence 
afterwards  as  follows : 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  383 

"  You  see,  I  was  watching  them  come  closer  and 
closer,  and  making  my  calculation  to  pick  out  two 
fine  ones.  I  knew  the  fellow  at  the  head  was  an 
old  gander,  and  tough ;  hut  right  behind  him  came 
twa  tender,  juicy  youngsters — altogether  the  fattest 
and  best  in  the  whole  flock.  Well,  it  took  me  some 
time  to  make  this  selection,  and,  letting  the  old  one 
go  by,  I  was  just  about  preparing  to  knock  over  the 
two  others  right  and  left — and  done  it  I  should 
have,  because  I  intended  to,  you  know.  Well,  I 
put  up  my  gun,  and  was  about  taking  aim,  and 
was  waiting  for  them  to  get  just  in  the  right  po- 
sition— for  I  was  as  cool  as  I  am  this  moment ;  an 
old  hunter  like  me  is  not  easily  flurried.  Well,  they 
were  almost  ready,  and  I  was  on  the  point  of  cut- 
ting them  down,  when  somebody  else — bad  luck  to 
him — about  a  hundred  yards  off,  fired  into  the 
flock.  Of  course  they  flirted  in  every  direction, 
and  darted  about  so,  that  I  lost  sight  of  those  I 
selected ;  and  how  could  yon  expect  me  to  kill  any 
others  when  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  have 
those?  You  need  not  laugh  because  I  missed 
with  both  barrels;  I  wouldn't  have  missed  if  the 
birds  had  been  in  their  proper  places,  where  I  was 
pointing  my  gun." 

So  it  was  that  we  obtained  no  geese.  But  the 
canvas-backs  and  mallards,  in  the  early  morning, 
made  up  for  the  deficiency ;  and  when,  towards  mid- 
day, they  ceased  flying,  some  of  our  party  resolved 
to  pole  for  wood-ducks. 

To  do  this,  as  has  been  heretofore  intimated,  re- 


384  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

quires  more  practice  than  even  shooting  from 
"  points  " — exacting  from  the  sportsman  not  merely 
readiness  in  handling  the  gun,  but  activity  of  mo- 
tion and  accuracy  of  balance.  Tlie  gun,  at  full 
cock,  is  laid  in  its  rack  across  the  thwart ;  or,  as  I 
prefer,  from  one  thwart  to  another,  with  the  trig- 
gers up ;  the  sportsman,  standing  erect  on  the  stern, 
"wields  his  pole  with  care,  avoiding  noise,  and  never 
by  any  chance  touching  the  side  of  the  beat  with 
it,  for  nothing  alarms  the  birds  so  much  as  rapping 
on  the  side  of  the  boat,  although  it  is  not  easy  to 
avoid  doing  so.  He  faces  forward,  i-aises  the  pole 
carefully,  and  replacing  it  without  a  splash  or  a  blow 
on  the  crackling  stems  or  leaves  of  the  lilies,  uses 
his  body  as  a  fulcrum  as  often  as  he  wishes  to  alter 
the  direction  of  the  boat.  He  works  his  way  against 
the  Avind  as  much  as  possible,  and,  casting  his  eyes 
in  every  direction,  is  always  on  the  alert.  Suddenly, 
with  a  roar  like  distant  thunder,  a  wood-duck,  gene- 
rally the  male,  starts  from  the  weeds,  and  with  a 
curious  cry,  like  that  of  a  wailing  infant,  makes  the 
best  of  his  way  from  the  approaching  danger ;  in- 
stantly the  sportsman  drops  the  pole,  wherever  it 
may  be — in  mid  air  or  deep  in  the  mud,  just  planted 
or  at  its  full  reach — and  springing  to  his  gun,  raises 
it  with  rapidity  but  deliberation,  and,  if  the  bird 
has  not  already  gained  a  safe  distance,  discharges 
it  with  the  best  effect  he  is  able  to  command.  Fre- 
quently, at  the  report,  another  bird  will  start,  and 
offer  a  fair  and  generally  successful  shot. 

To  one  accustomed  to  kill  quail,  this  shooting. 


DUCK- SHOOTING.  385 

after  the  awkwardness  arising  from  the  motion  of 
the  boat  is  overcome,  is  not  difficult ;  but  the  knack 
of  dropping  the  pole  at  once  is  almost  unattainable. 
Most  persons,  at  first,  frantically  endeavor  to  de^ 
posit  the  pole  in  the  boat,  and  cannot  drop  it 
instantly;  others  give  it  an  energetic  push.  The 
former  allow  the  birds  time  to  escape,  while  the  lat- 
ter increase  the  unsteadiness  of  the  boat. 

Tlie  birds  usually  rise  well,  attaining  the  height 
of  twenty  feet  before  they  move  directly  away,  and 
hence  present  a  good  shot.  If  they  are  missed, 
they  may  be  marked  down,  pursued,  and  started 
again;  and  as  they  are  frequently  very  numerous, 
and  rise  at  unexpected  moments,  they  keep  the 
sportsman  excited,  until,  worn  out  with  the  exces- 
sive and  unaccustomed  labor,  he  has  to  stop  and 
rest.  If  the  water  is  low  the  poling  is  hard  work, 
and  at  the  most  favorable  times  will  be  found  suf- 
ficiently exhausting.  The  birds  principally  frequent 
the  lily  beds,  which  stretch  out  in  broad  patches 
where  the  Avater  is  moderately  deep ;  but  they  are 
also  found  in  open  spots  among  the  high  reeds,  and 
occasionally  among  the  deer  tongue. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  Aveeds  growing  in  thd 
shallows  of  the  bay,  and  restricted  in  their  extent 
by  its  depth.  The  reeds,  which  in  the  fall  resemble 
a  ripe  field  of  grain,  have  crimson  stems,  and  nar- 
row yellow  leaves,  almost  inclosing  the  stems  at 
their  base  and  streaming  gracefully  in  the  wind  at 
the  top ;  they  thrive  in  shallow  water,  and,  attain- 
ing a  height  of  twelve  feet,  form  the  hiding-placeS 


386  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

of  the  sportsman.  The  wild  rice  has  a  greenish- 
yellow  stem,  with  longer  joints  and  without  leaves ; 
it  branches  at  the  end  into  the  seed-receptacles,  and 
is  not  found  in  such  large  patches.  The  deer- 
tongue  grows  in  deeper  water,  and  retains  its  green 
hue  till  the  weather  intimates  that  winter  is  present. 
It  has  a  leaf  like  a  dull  spear-head,  that  projects  but 
a  few  inches  above  the  surface ;  and  its  stout  stems, 
springing  up  close  togetlier,  constitute  a  serious 
obstacle  to  the  advancing  boat.  There  are  also 
scattered  patches  of  weeds,  usually  called  grass 
because  they  are  green,  but  with  a  round,  hollow, 
tapering  stem,  or  leaf,  that  has  no  resemblance 
whatever  to  grass. 

Early  in  the  season,  when  there  are  few  birds  fly- 
ing over  the  points,  and  the  young,  tender,  and  gen- 
tle wood-ducks  crowd  the  marshes  and  will  permit 
an  easy  approach,  it  is  customary  to  employ  a  pun- 
ter, who  poles  the  boat  while  the  sportsman  sits  on 
the  forward  thwart,  gun  in  hand,  ready  in  a  moment 
to  cut  down  the  feeble  birds.  But  if  any  of  the 
shooting  is  to  be  done  from  the  points,  the  punter 
Avill  be  found  in  the  way,  increasing  the  unsteadi- 
ness of  the  boat  and  augmenting  the  danger,  already 
sufficiently  great.  Although  by  no  means  proficient, 
I  always  prefer  poling  myself,  and  will  never  permit 
any  guns  in  the  boat  but  my  own. 

On  the  day  more  particularly  referred  to  in  this 
chapter,  we  found  the  birds  plentiful,  although  ra- 
ther wild,  and  had  grand  sport,  starting  the  crying 
wood-ducks  and  the  quacking  mallards  from  theif 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  387 

hiding-places,  and  killing  a  goodly  number  in  spite 
of  their  sharp  eare  and  strong  wings. 

Of  the  particular  shots,  the  numerous  misses,  the 
various  mishaps,  it  were  vain  to  tell.  A  baptism  in 
the  shallow  bay-water  is  regarded  as  a  necessary 
initiation,  and  not  being  dangerous,  the  ceremony  is 
frequently  repeated.  Good  shots  are  rarer  than  bad 
ones,  even  with  the  best  marksmen,  and  perhaps  the 
author  would  have  to  vindicate  truth  by  telling  some 
awkward  blunders  of  his  own,  and  thus  forfeit  the 
reader's  respect  for  ever.  It  is  sufficient  for  the  read- 
er to  recall  the  best  day's  sport  at  ducks  he  ever 
had,  to  imagine  his  own  shooting  considerably  im- 
proved, his  strength  and  activity  augmented,  and  his 
promptest  deliberation  surpassed ;  and  he  will  have 
a  faint  idea  of  our  performance.  It  is  enough  to 
say  the  birds  were  there,  and  we  were  there. 

Towards  night  we  occupied  a  series  of  points 
above  the  Gap,  as  it  is  called — an  opening  between 
the  island  where  the  house  is  situated  and  the  land 
beyond — and  waited  for  the  evening  flight.  The 
wind  had  died  away,  and  as  the  sun  was  setting,  the 
mallards  came  in  from  the  lake  to  pass  the  night. 
Innumerable  flocks,  one  after  another,  appeared  fronx 
behind  the  trees,  and  passing  overhead,  settled  down 
into  the  reeds.  By  tw  os,  threes,  or  hundreds  in  a 
flock,  in  straight,  even  lines  of  battle,  or  bent  like 
the  two  sides  of  a  triangle,  or  in  long  single  file,  their 
wings  whistling  in  the  still  air,  or  producing  reports 
like  pop-guns  as  they  flirted  or  touched  one  another 
— ^immense  numbers  moved  over  us. 


388  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

Having  ascertained  by  several  ineffectual  shots 
that  they  vvere  far  out  of  range,  we  watched  them 
witli  delight  and  curiosity,  wondering  whence  they 
could  all  come,  and  whither  they  were  going.  There 
was  no  abatement  or  pause  till  the  increasing  dark- 
ness shut  them  out  from  our  sight.  Had  we  been 
prepared  with  Ely's  wire  cartridge  we  could  have 
rained  destruction  among  them,  but  as  it  was  we 
only  killed  a  few  chance  birds ;  and  then  reassem- 
bling our  party  where  the  open  lead  joined  the  bay, 
we  returned  to  the  club-house  together. 

The  next  day  being  clear  and  still,  it  was  devoted 
to  fishing  and  exploring.  A  Kentuckian  who  was 
among  our  numbers,  having  no  fishing  in  his  own 
State,  and  knowing  nothing  of  salmon  or  striped- 
bass,  and  little  of  trout,  was  devoted  to  black-bass  fish- 
ing. Persuading  the  writer  to  go  in  tlie  boat  with 
him,  while  two  friends  accompanied  us  in  another, 
we  crossed  the  bay,  and  having  fastened  large  Buel's 
spoons  to  the  end  of  stout  hand-lines,  proceeded  to 
troll  in  the  most  primitive  manner. 

Tiie  bass  were  plentiful,  and  rushing  from  their 
lairs  in  the  weeds  close  to  the  shore,  darted  out 
after  the  boat  had  passed,  and  devoured  our  baits. 
Although  quite  large,  they  gave  feeble  play,  turning 
over  and  over  in  the  water,  and  rarely  jumping  with 
the  vigor  of  fish  brought  up  in  cooler  latitudes ;  in 
fact,  the  river  and  lake  bass  differ  so  greatly  as  to 
seem  almost  to  belong  to  different  species.  The  river 
fish,  which  lie  in  the  discolored  water  where  long 
weeds  grow  from  a  bottom  of  deep  mud,  are  yellow 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  389 

in  color,  have  a  large  head,  and  a  yellow  iris  to  the 
eye.  The  lake  fish,  which  prefer  the  clearer  element 
near  rocky  shoals,  have  a  small  head  and  red- 
dish eye,  arc  dark-sided  and  A'igorous,  have  a  large 
forked  tail,  and  are  infinitely  preferable  on  the  table. 

One  of  our  friends  in  the  other  boat  was  a  practi- 
cal joker,  and  of  a  lively  turn  of  mind.  He  at  first 
amused  himself  by  jerking  the  line  of  his  companion 
who  sat  nearer  the  bow,  to  induce  him  to  think 
it  was  a  bite ;  then  he  lauded  all  the  fish  that  were 
taken  on  either  hook ;  and  finally,  having  acciden- 
tally caught  his  hook  into  his  companion's  and  drawn 
it  in  without  the  latter's  knowledge,  he  hung  it  on 
the  gunwale  and  had  the  fishing  to  himself  As  the 
portion  of  the  line,  or  bight  as  sailors  call  it,  which 
still  towed  overboard  kept  up  the  ordinary  strain, 
his  associate  was  in  great  wonderment  at  his  bad 
luck,  and  did  not  discover  the  reaoon  till  the  fishing 
was  over. 

Having  absolutely  filled  our  boats  with  bass  thai 
weighed  from  two  to  four  pounds,  and  having  or* 
dered  a  good  dinner  at  the  club-house  to  entertain 
some  strangers,  we  returned,  rather  disgusted  with 
such  tame  sport. 

"We  caught,  besides  the  bass,  a  few  pickerel  and  a 
small  pike-perch,  lu^ioperea  Americana  ;  and  found 
the  most  successful  bait  was  a  red  and  tin  spoon, 
with  a  white  feather  on  the  hook.  The  natives  call 
the  pickerel  a  grass-pike,  and  the  pike-perch  a 
pickerel.  Those  curious  nondescripts — half  fish, 
half  reptile — ^bill  or  gar-fish,  lepidosteus,  relics  of  an- 


390 


DUCK-SHOOTING. 


tediluvian  ages,  were  seen  in  the  watei-,  but  are  only 
taken  in  the  net. 

The  weather  had  been  clear,  mild,  and  still ;  it 
continued  so  for  several  days,  and  as  storm  and 
wind  are  necessary  to  duck-shooting,  our  sport,  al- 
though pleasant,  was  greatly  diminished.  Conse- 
quently we  rose  at  I'easonable  hours,  ate  comforta- 
ble breakfasts,  and  smoked  our  pipes  before  we  left 
the  house.  One  morning,  as  I  was  about  departing, 
the  Kentucky  fisherman,  who  had  found  the  weather 
admirable  for  his  sport,  offered  to  bet  ten  of  the 
largest  fish  he  would  catch  against  the  largest  bird 
I  should  shoot,  that  I  would  not  kill  a  dozen  ducks. 
Of  course  I  accepted  the  wager. 

It  was  unpromising  weathei",  still  and  warm,  and 
there  was  absolutely  no  flight  either  during  the 
morning  or  evening ;  but  by  chance  two  cormo- 
rants came  close  to  my  stand.  Without  waiting 
to  distinguish  what  they  were  I  fired,  kilUng  one 
dead,  and  dropping  the  other  some  distance  off  in 
the  open  water.  My  disgust  on  picking  up  the  one 
nearest,  and  observing  the  thick  legs,  ugly  shape, 
and  crooked  yellow  bill,  was  only  diminished  by  the 
recollection  of  my  bet.  I  lost,  failing  in  the  end  to 
bring  home  the  dozen  birds — although  I  shot  more 
than  that  number,  but  was  unable  to  i-ecover  several 
that  fell  in  the  weeds — and  on  my  return,  using  that 
fact  as  an  excuse,  endeavored  to  beg  off.  The  Ken- 
tuckian  was  delighted ;  imagining  from  my  conversa- 
tion that  I  had  shot  a  canvas-back,  and  anticipating  an 
amusing  triumph,  he  insisted  upon  the  letter  of  the  law. 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  391 

Onr  discussion,  as  was  intended  on  my  part,  at- 
tracted the  attention  and  interest  of  all  the  mem- 
bers, and  my  opponent  waited  with  a  victorious  air 
till  I  should  bring  him  my  largest  bird.  At  last, 
afler  much  procrastination,  it  was  produced  amid 
such  shouts  as  rarely  rang  through  the  old  club- 
house. In  vain  did  my  Kentucky  friend  attempt  to 
disclaim  his  acquisition  or  propose  to  waive  his 
rights ;  "  he  would  have  the  bird,  and  he  must  take 
him  ;  it  was  a  remai'kably  fine  one  of  the  kind,  and 
a  good  specimen."    At  last  he  burst  forth : 

"  Oh,  get  out  with  your  cormorant ;  take  him 
away;  do,  and  I'll  never  make  another  bet  with 
you  as  long  as  I  live." 

To  this  day,  in  that  section  of  the  West,  a  man 
who  is  too  exacting  occasionally  wins  a  cormorant. 

The  time  that  circumstances  permitted  me  to  de- 
vote to  pleasure  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the 
last  morning  that  was  to  be  appropriated  to  the 
ducks  had  arrived,  when,  as  I  was  about  loading 
my  boat,  Henry  stood  before  me,  and  with  great 
earnestness  remarked : 

"  I  am  going  to  shoot  with  you  to-day,  sir." 

If  he  had  said,  "  I  am  going  to  shoot  you,"  he 
could  not  have  spoken  with  more  firmness  and  so- 
lemnity ;  or,  if  he  had  anticipated  the  most  violent 
contradiction,  he  could  not  have  assumed  a  more 
convincing  manner.  The  proposal,  as  it  suggested 
an  augmented  bag  for  my  last  day,  was,  however, 
cordially  welcome ;  and,  as  soon  as  he  was  ready,  I 
inquired  in  an  unconcerned  manner : 


392  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

,    "  Well,  which  way  shall  we  go  ?  " 

The  effrontery  of  the  question  fairly  took  him 
aback,  and,  pausing  in  apparent  irresolution  as  to 
Avhether  he  was  not  in  danger  of  being  caught  at 
last,  he  seemed  for  a  moment  half  inclined  to  run 
for  it.  Incoherently  he  commenced  his  usual  re- 
sponse about  not  giving  advice ;  paused,  and  then, 
in  a  sadly  reproachful  tone,  remonstrated  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  You  know  if  I  were  to  give  advice  to  gentle- 
men, and  they  were  to  have  bad  luck,  they  would 
blame  me ;  and  how  can  I  know  all  the  time  where 
the  ducks  are  flying  ?  " 

"But,  Henry,  as  Ave  are  going  together,  I  must 
certainly  be  told  where  the  place  is  to  be." 

This  appeared  to  surprise  liim ;  for,  after  a  mo- 
ment's deliberation,  he  jumped  into  his  boat,  and, 
seizing  his  paddle,  said,  "I  am  going  to  Grassy 
Point,"  and  made  off  as  fast  as  he  couM. 

"  Well,  Henry,  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  go  with 
you,  instead  of  you  with  me ;  but  the  difference  is 
not  very  great." 

He  seemed  confused,  and  in  doubt  whether  he 
had  not  compromised  himself,  and  paddled  with 
such  speed  that  I  could  scarcely  keep  up  with  him. 
Seated  with  his  face  towards  the  bow  of  the  boat, 
his  guns  lying  ready  for  instant  use  in  front  of  him, 
be  plied  his  double  paddle — that  is  to  say,  a  long 
paddle  with  a  blade  at  both  ends,  which  are  dipped 
alternately — with  a  vigor  that  would  have  distanced, 
for  a  short  stretch,  the  most  expert  rower.    Like 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  393 

the  other  natives,  he  preferred  the  double  paddle  to 
the  oars.  Wi)ile  using  it  he  could  make  an  accu- 
rate course — an  important  consideration  in  the 
intricate  channels;  could  watch  for  a  chance  shot 
ahead  of  him,  or  chase  a  wounded  duck  advanta- 
geously ;  at  a  moderate  speed,  could  travel  a  long 
jouniey ;  and,  for  a  spurt,  could  sui"pass  the  same 
boat  propelled  by  oars ;  and  was  not  annoyed  by 
catching  the  blades  in  the  innumerable  weeds.  So 
great  was  the  respect  that  I  acquired  for  the  double 
paddle,  from  his  manner  of  wielding  it,  that  I  there- 
upon resolved  to  have  one  and  learn  to  use  it,  even 
if  I  did  suffer  somewhat  in  the  attempt. 

We  proceeded  in  unbroken  silence,  and,  reaching 
the  point,  located  ourselves  well  upon  it,  not  fav 
apart,  and  awaited  the  ducks.  Henry  Avas  an  ex- 
cellent shot,  and  set  me  an  example  that  I  did  my 
best  to  follow ;  but  as  the  birds  did  not  fly  well,  we 
left  at  the  expiration  of  a  couple  of  hours,  and 
crossed  Mud  Creek  into  the  main  swamp,  called 
Lattimer  Marsh.  On  the  way,  happening  to  pass 
an  old  muskrat  house,  my  curiosity  was  excited, 
and  I  inquired : 

"  Are  there  any  animals  in  that  house  now  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  there  ai'c  any  animals, 
sir ;  there  might  be  some  sort  of  animals,  but  there 
are  not  any  rats." 

"  Where  are  the  rats,  then  ?  " 

"  They  all  disappear  in  summer ;  they  leave  their 
houses,  and  in  the  fall  build  new  ones.  I  can't  tell 
what  becomes  of  them  ;  but  they  have  queer  ways. 


394  DUCK  SHOOTING. 

They  build  a  big  house — a  sort  of  family  house,  as 
I  call  it — where  a  number  of  them  dwell ;  and 
around  it,  about  fifty  rods  off,  smaller  ones,  where 
each  rat  appears  to  feed  or  go  when  he  wants  to  be 
alone.  There  are  generally  two  entrances,  one 
above  and  the  other  under  water,  so  that  when  the 
bay  is  frozen  over  they  can  g^t  in." 

"  How  do  you  catch  thetn  ?  " 

"  We  set  spring-traps  of  iron,  but  without  teeth, 
so  as  not  to  hurt  the  skin,  near  their  houses,  and 
where  we  think  they  will  be  apt  to  step  into  them. 
The  time  to  catch  them  is  from  the  1st  of  March  till 
the  10th  of  April." 

"  Can  anybody  trap  them  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  sir ;  that  wouldn't  do  at  all ;  a  person 
has  to  own  the  land,  or  have  the  right  to  trap.  The 
land  isn't  worth  much,  though — only  about  a  dollar 
an  acre." 

"The  Indian  name  of  muskrat  is  said  to  be 
musksquash  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  how  that  is;  but  I  have  heard 
people  call  them  so.  There  are  a  good  many  in  the 
marsh,  and  we  sometimes  make  three  or  four  hun- 
dred dollars  a  year  from  them." 

"  But,  as  the  swamp  fills  up  and  the  land  makes, 
won't  they  disappear  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  the  swamp  isn't  filling  up ;  but  the 
land  is  sinking,  or  the  water  rising — either  one  or 
the  other ;  for  the  swamp  is  growing  larger.  The 
trees  on  the  island  are  being  killed  by  the  water — 
some  are  dead  already ;  and  every  year  more  high 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  395 

land  becomes  meadow,  and  the  meadow  turns  into 
swamp." 

"I  thought  the  Western  lakes  were  growing 
shallow,  and  receding  yearly." 

"Not  here,  sir.  Why,  that  long  spit  of  reeds 
beyond  Grassy  Point  was  dry  land  once,  so  that 
you  could  drive  a  team  clear  over  to  Squaw  Island ; 
there  were  large  trees  on  it,  but  they  are  all  dead, 
and  the  channel  between  it  and  the  island  is  six 
feet  deep." 

"  All  the  better  for  us  spoitsraen.  Have  you  any 
other  valuable  animals  besides  the  rats  ?  " 

"A  few  otter;  but  not  many.  No,  sir;  the 
ducks  are  the  most  valuable  things  we  have." 

"They  will  soon  be  killed  off." 

"No,  sir;  as  there  is  no  shooting  allowed  in  the 
spring  they  are  becoming  more  plentiful.  They  are 
tamer,  too;  and  some  stay  here  all  summer  and 
breed.  It  was  the  spring  shooting,  when  they  were 
poor  and  thin,  that  killed  them  off  or  drove  them 
away." 

"  How  many  birds  can  a  good  shot  average  daily 
the  season  through  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  kill  forty  a  day,  but  perhaps  there 
arc  some  men  who  can  shoot  better.  But  now,  sir, 
if  you  Avill  choose  your  stand,  I  will  go  a  little  way 
below." 

I  ensconced  myself  in  a  bunch  of  high  weeds  sur- 
rounded by  a  pond  of  open  water,  and  killed  a  few 
mallards.  The  birds  did  not  fly  well,  however,  and 
we  moved  from  place  to  place  in  the  hope  of  better 


396  DUCK-SHOOTING. 

luck,  and  with  a  restlessness  that  showed  increasing 
dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  Henry;  so  that  I  was 
not  surprised  when,  early  in  the  afternoon,  he  told 
me  that  he  must  return  to  the  club-house.  I  re- 
mained for  some  hours  where  he  left  me ;  but  hear- 
ing rapid  shooting  near  the  Gap,  I  poled  my  way 
there  through  a  broad  field  of  lilies,  known  as  the 
Pond  Lily  Channel,  and  there,  to  my  surp;'ise,  found 
Henry. 

Whether  it  was  the  desire  to  be  alone,  for  his 
peculiarity  of  preferring  to  shoot  by  himself  has 
been  mentioned,  or  whether  he  was  tempted  by  a 
favorable  flight  of  birds,  I  never  knew  ;  when  I  ap- 
peared, he  paddled  hastily  away  as  though  ashamed, 
and  made  no  answer  to  my  inquiries  as  to  what 
detained  him,  or  how  they  could  manage  without 
him  at  the  house.  Unceremoniously  occupying  his 
place,  I  completed  the  evening,  and  the  allotted 
hours  of  my  stay,  with  some  excellent  shooting  at 
flocks  of  mallards, 'widgeons,  and  blue-bills,  that  pour- 
ed through  the  Gap  in  endless  flights,  till  after  dark. 

Then,  for  the  last  time,  I  rowed  through  the  dark- 
ness towards  the  well-known  point;  for  the  last  time 
sat  down  at  the  groaning  board  which  our  kind- 
hearted  landlady  had  furnished  so  liberally ;  played 
my  last  game  with  the  euchre-loving  son  of  Kentucky ; 
smoked  a  farewell  pipe  of  Killikinnick  in  the  so- 
ciable circle  around  the  air-tight ;  slept  for  the  last 
time  in  the  comfortable  bed  under  the  hospitable 
roof  of  the  club-house  ;  and  next  morning,  having 
seen  my  associates  depart,  each  in  his  little  boat,  and 


DUCK-SHOOTING.  397 

bid  them  all  farewell,  I  set  out,  with  my  birds  pack- 
ed in  ice,  for  the  City  of  New  York.  My  friends 
Avelcomed  me  and  my  birds  gladly.  Reader,  had 
you  been  my  friend,  you  would  also  have  welcomed 
us  both. 

It  is  surprising  how  well  the  duck-shooting  in  the 
confluents  of  the  great  lakes  has  held  out  in  spite 
of  time  and  breech-loaders.  Wild  ducks,  like  tame 
ones,  lay  fifteen  to  twenty  eggs,  not  like  the  English 
snipe,  which  rarely  lays  more  than  four.  They  go 
to  inaccessible  places  to  breed,  and  are  so  tough, 
strong,  and  active,  that  they  can  put  their  natural 
enemies  almost  at  defiance.  Spring  shooting  has 
been  forbidden,  and  the  result  is  that  as  many  are 
now  killed  every  fall  as  were  killed  twenty  years  ago. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPOKTSME^T. 

The  word  "sport"  has  been  more  abused,  ill-treated, 
and  misapplied  than  any  other  in  our  language;  of  a 
high,  pure,  and  noble  signification,  it  has  been 
debased  to  unworthy  objects ;  of  a  restricted  and 
refined  significance,  it  has  been  extended  to  a  mass 
of  improper  matters ;  from  its  natural  elegant  appro- 
priateness, it  has  been  degraded  to  vulgar  and  dis- 
honest associations. 

The  miserable  wretch  who  lives  on  the  most  con- 
temptible passion  in  human  nature,  and  with  practised 
skill  cheats  those  Avho  would  cheat  him — winning  by 
the  unfair  rules  of  games,  so-called,  of  chance— or,  with 
less  conscience,  converting  that  chance  into  a  certain- 
ty, calls  himself  a  sporting  man.  The  individual  who, 
having  trained  a  liorse  up  to  the  finest  condition  of 
activity  and  endurance,  drives  or  rides  him  under 
lash  and  spur  round  a  course  to  win  a  sum  of  money, 
although  he  may  call  himself  a  sportsman,  is  really 
a  business  man.  The  daring  backwoodsman  of  the 
Far  West,  who  follows  the  fleet  elk  or  timid  deer,  and 
who  attacks  the  formidable  buflfalo  or  grizzly  bear, 
is  less  a  sportsman  than  a  mighly  hunter;  the  man 
who  shoots  with  a  view  of  selling  his  game  is  a 
market-gunner ;  and  he  who  kills  that  he  may  eat  is 
a  pot-hunter. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN.  399 

The  sportsman  pursues  his  game  for  pleasure ;  he 
does  not  aspire  to  follow  the  grander  animals  of  the 
chase,  makes  no  profit  of  his  success,  giving  to  his 
friends  more  than  he  retains,  shoots  invariably  upon 
the  wing,  and  never  takes  a  mean  advantage  of  bird 
or  man.  It  is  his  pride  to  kill  what  he  does  kill 
elegantly,  scientifically,  and  mercifully.  Quantity  is 
not  his  ambition  ;  he  never  slays  more  than  he  can 
use ;  he  never  inflicts  an  unnecessary  pang  or  tires 
an  unfiiir  shot. 

The  man  who,  happening  to  find  birds  plentiful 
in  warm  weather,  and,  after  murdering  all  that  he  can, 
leaves  them  to  spoil,  is  no  more  a  sportsman  than  he 
who  fires  into  a  huddled  bevy  of  quail,  or  who  con- 
siders every  bird  as  representing  so  much  money 
value,  and  to  be  converted  into  it  as  soon  as  possible. 

The  sportsman  is  generous  to  his  associate,  not 
seeking  to  obtain  the  most  sliots,  but  giving  away 
the  advantage  in  that  particular,  and  recovering  it 
if  possible  by  superiority  of  aim ;  for  although  to  be 
a  sportsman  a  person  must  naturally  be  an  enthu- 
siast, he  should  never  forget  what  he  owes  to  his 
friend,  and  above  all  what  he  owes  to  himself. 

Boys  and  Germans  need  not  imagine  that  killing 
robins  or  blackbirds  on  trees,  no  matter  liow  nu- 
merously, is  sport.  Robins  and  bl  jckbirds,  the 
latter  especially,  if  the  old  song  is  to  be  believed, 
make  dainty  pies,  but  do  not  constitute  an  object  of 
pursuit  to  the  sportsman.  Diminutive  birds  shot 
sitting  are  as  far  beneath  sport  as  gigantic  wild 
animals  shot  standing  or  running  are  above  it.    The 


400  SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN'. 

only  objects  of  the  sportsman's  pursuit  are  the  game 
birds ;  not  in  the  confined  sense  used  in  old  times  by 
the  English,  when  the  very  prince  of  all — the  wood- 
cock— was  excluded  from  the  list,  but  embracing  every 
bird,  fit  for  the  table,  that  is  habitually  shot  on  the 
wing.  Many  of  these,  perliaps  the  finest,  gamest, 
and  bravest,  are  shot  over  dogs,  where  the  wonderful 
instinct  of  the  animal  aids  the  intelligence  of  the 
human  ;  but  whether  followed  by  the  faithful  setter, 
or  lured  to  bobbing  decoy ;  killed  from  points  where, 
prone  in  the  reeds,  the  eager  sportsman,  insensible  to 
cold  or  wet,  at  the  grey  of  dawn  or  dusk  of  night, 
awaits  his  prey ;  or  from  the  convenient  blind  which 
the  deluded  birds  approach  without  suspicion,  or 
pursued  with  horse  and  wagon  on  the  open  plain — 
these  all  are  game  birds,  and  he  who  follows  them 
legitimately  is  a  sportsman. 

Wild  birds,  like  the  tame  ones,  are  given  for  man's 
use,  and  the  best  use  that  can  be  made  of  them  is  the 
one  that  will  confer  most  health,  nourishment,  and 
happiness  on  mankind.  Fanatics  imagine  that 
although  birds  may  be  killed,  it  must  be  done  only 
to  furnish  food  ;  as  if  there  was  nothing  beyond  eat- 
ing in  this  world,  and  as  if  contribution  to  health 
were  not  as  essential  as  supplies  to  the  stomach.  The 
two  may  and  should  be  combined ;  a  man  who  is 
luingry  may  kill  that  he  may  be  satisfied,  the  man 
who  is  sickly  may  kill  that  he  may  recover — neither 
may  kill  in  excess ;  and  a  third  may  kill  lest  he 
become  sick,  provided  nothing  is  injured  that  is  not 
used. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN".  401 

Death  before  the  muzzle  of  a  gun,  in  the  hands  of 
an  experienced  marksman,  when  the  body  of  the 
charge  striking  the  object  terminates  life  instantly — 
and  even  when,  in  the  hands  of  a  bungler,  the  wounded 
bird  is  not  put  out  of  his  pain  till  he  is  retrieved — is 
far  more  merciful  than  after  capture  in  a  trap,  accom- 
panied with  agonies  of  apprehension  and  perhaps 
days  of  starvation,  till  the  thoughtless  boy  shall 
remember  his  snare  and  awkwardly  end  life.  The 
birds  of  the  air  and  beasts  of  the  field  are  given  for 
man's  use  and  advantage,  whether  domesticatec , 
or  wild  as  they  once  all  were  ;  and  if  they  serve  to 
supply  him  with  food  or  healthful  exercise,  and  espe- 
cially if  they  do  both,  they  have  answered  their  pur- 
pose. It  is  certainly  no  more  brutalizing  to  shoot 
them  on  the  wing  or  in  the  open  field,  when  they 
have  a  reasonable  chance  to  escape,  than  to  wring 
their  necks  in  the  barn-yard,  or  knock  them  <3n  the 
head  with  an  axe. 

To  become  a  sportsman,  the  first  thing  to  acquire 
— ^provided  nature  has  kindly  fui-nished  the  pro- 
per groundwork  of  heart  and  body,  without  which 
little  can  be  done — is  the  art  of  shooting.  A  few, 
very  few  men  become,  through  fortuitous  circum- 
stances of  nature  and  practice,  splendid  shots  ;  many 
shoot  well,  and  some  cannot  shoot  at  all.  The 
author  of  this  work  has  handled  a  gun  from  his 
twelfth  year,  and  been  out  with  thousands  of  sports- 
men, but  he  never  yet  saw  a  dead  shot— one  who 
can  kill  every  time. 

Crack  shots,  however,  are  numerous;  and  include, 


403  SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN". 

according  to  Frank  Forester,  tliose  who,  in  covert 
and  out  of  covert,  the  season  through,  will  kill  three 
out  of  five  of  the  birds  that  rise  fairly  within  range  ; 
but  in  the  opinion  of  the  author,  the  application 
should  be  extended  to  any  man  who  can  kill  two 
out  of  five  on  an  average.  This  calculation,  bow- 
ever,  has  no  reference  to  fair  shots  ;  every  bird  that 
rises  within  twenty-five  yards  and  is  seen,  though  it 
be  but  for  an  instant,  and  many  that  rise  at  thirty- 
five  yards,  are  to  be  counted. 

In  our  country  there  is  so  much  covert,  that  the 
man  who  picks  his  birds  and  only  fires  at  open 
chances,  is  a  potterer,  unworthy  even  of  the  com- 
mon-place name  of  gunner ;  he  has  nothing  of  the 
spoi-tsman  and  little  of  the  man  about  him.  Afraid 
to  miss,  anxious  to  boast  of  his  skill,  desirous  of  sur- 
passing his  friends,  he  unites  the  qualities  of  braggart 
and  sneak. 

Be  liberal  in  your  shots ;  do  not  grudge  ammuni- 
tion, nor  dread  the  disgrace  of  a  miss — the  disgrace 
of  eluding  the  trial  is  far  greater;  and  no  man  who 
waits  for  open  shots,  and  acquires  a  hesitating  man- 
ner, will  ever  effect  anything  brilliant.  If  you  miss, 
there  are  always  plenty  of  excellent  excuses  at  hand 
— your  foot  slipped,  the  bird  dodged,  a  tree  inter- 
vened ;  or,  you  hit  him  hard,  cut  out  his  feathers, 
or  even  killed  him  stone  dead,  but  he  did  not  fall  at 
once.  If  you  doubt  the  validity  of  these  excuses, 
go  out  with  the  best  shot  you  know,  and  observe 
whether  he  does  not  furnish  you  with  ten  times  tho 
number  in  a  week. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO   SPORTSMEN.  403 

Now,  the  author  cannot  shoot,  and  never  could ; 
but  he  manages  to  bring  home  as  many  quail,  wood 
cock,  snipe,  rail,  ruffed  grouse,  and  ducks,  on  the 
average,  as  any  of  his  friends.  He  observes  that 
most  of  them  miss  as  often  as  he  does,  with  no  bet- 
ter excuses,  and  some  far  oftener ;  but  still  he  never, 
to  the  best  of  his  belief,  saw  the  season  during  which 
he  killed — that  is,  bagged — one-half  of  the  birds  he 
shot  at.  Some  professionals,  of  course,  shoot  at  one 
kind  of  game  wonderfully;  the  gunners  of  Long 
Island  Bay  are  astoundingly  accurate  on  wild-fowl, 
but  would  not  kill  one  quail  in  a  week ;  while  some 
men  who  could  scarcely  touch  a  duck,  handle  their 
guns  sj)lendidlyinthe  thickest  cover.  Professionals, 
however,  usually  yield  the  best  chances  to  their  em- 
ployers, and  may  be  more  skilful  than  they  seem; 
but  among  amateurs  the  author  claims  a  rank  that 
will  at  least  entitle  him  to  judge  of  others. 

The  majority  of  persons  rarely  consider  how  many 
birds  escape,  without  the  fault  of  the  marksman;  at 
over  thirty  yards  the  best  gun,  especially  when  a 
little  dirty,  will  leave  openings  in  the  charge  where 
a  bird  may  be  hit  with  only  one  shot,  if  at  all. 
Ducks,  the  larger  bay-snipe,  ruffed  grouse,  and, 
above  all,  quail  late  in  the  season,  will  carry  off 
several  shots  —  flying  away  apparently  unhurt,  al- 
though in  the  end  they  may  fall  dead.  If  the  gun 
was  held  perfectly  straight  this  would  happen  less  fre- 
quently;  but  to  so  hold  it  is  almost  impossible,  for  no 
living  man  could  kill,  once  in  a  dozen  times,  a  flying 
bird  with  a  single  ball ;  and  even  then  the  probabi- 


404 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN. 


lities  are,  that  a  yellow-leg  snipe  shot  at  more  than 
thirty-five  yards  off,  would  ouce  in  five  times  carry 
away  the  few  jjellets  that  may  strike  him  ;  and  at 
forty  yards  escape  entirely  untouched.  If  the  reader 
will  select  the  best  target  his  gun  can  make  with  an 
ounce  of  No.  8  shot  at  forty  yards,  and  see  how 
many  spaces  there  are  entirely  vacant  large  enough 
to  contain  a  snipe,  he  will  be  convinced  that  the 
above  statement  is  correct ;  and  at  fifty  yards,  the 
chances  ai*e  three  to  one  against  the  marksman.  Sir 
Francis  Francis,  who  is  a  good  authority  in  Eng- 
land, says,  that  to  kill  one  bird  in  two  shots  is  good 
shooting ;  and  there  the  grounds  are  almost  always 
open,  while  the  reverse  is  the  case  with  us. 

Do  not  be  discouraged,  therefore,  if  the  sun  gets 
in  your  eyes,  your  foot  slips,  the  bird  dodges,  a  few 
floating  feathers  are  the  only  result  of  your  effort, 
or  you  make  a  clean  miss;  others  do  the  same. 
Neither  lose  your  temper  nor  curse  your  luck,  as  by 
so  doing  you  may  excite  your  nerves  and  injure 
your  shooting,  and  cannot  improve  it.  Be  cool, 
never  shoot  without  an  attempt  at  aim,  if  it  is  only 
where  the  bird  disappeared;  take  your  disappoint- 
ments pleasantly,  strive  to  do  your  best,  and  you 
will  improve. 

Many  ducks  fly  at  least  ninety  miles  an  hour; 
that  is,  twenty-six  hundred  yards  a  minute,  or  forty- 
four  yards  a  second ;  if,  therefore,  a  duck  starts  at 
your  feet  with  that  velocity,  and  you  require  a 
second  to  cover  him,  he  will  be  out  of  range ;  or 
if  he  is  flying  across,  and  you  dwell  one  foi'ty-fourth 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN.  405 

part  of  a  second  on  your  aim,  you  will  miss  him.  A 
quail,  late  in  the  season,  flies  as  fast  as  this,  and  rises 
with  a  rapidity  equal  to  his  flight.  He  is  often  found  in 
coverts,  dodges  and  twists  with  remarkable  skill  and 
judgment,  frequently  flies  off"  in  a  direct  line  behind 
the  thickest  bush,  and  requires  the  perfection  of 
training  to  bring  down  with  certainty.  These  are 
difficulties  that  patience  alone  can  overcome ;  for  if 
shooting  were  simple,  there  would  be  no  art  or  pleas- 
ure in  it. 

All  books  on  sporting  tell  you  to  fiie  ahead  of 
cross  shots,  and  in  this  they  are  right ;  but  the  rea- 
son they  give  is,  that  time  is  necessary  for  the  shot 
to  reach  the  object — in  this  they  are  wrong ;  shot 
moves  infinitely  faster  than  the  bird,  and  for  prac- 
tical purposes,  reaches  its  mark  instantaneously. 
Human  nerves  and  muscles,  however,  are  imperfect, 
and  it  requires  an  instant,  an  important  one,  to  dis- 
charge the  gun  after  the  aim  is  taken.  The  result, 
therefore,  is  the  same,  and  you  must  endeavor  to 
shoot  ahead  of  the  bird ;  and  if  he  is  flying  fast,  far 
ahead  of  him.  If  the  motion  of  the  object  is  follow- 
ed and  the  gun  kept  moving  before  the  discharge, 
some  writers  allege  no  allowance  need  be  made,  but 
it  is  so  difficult  not  to  pause  slightly,  that  it  is  bet- 
ter in  all  cases  to  allow  some  inches. 

To  follow  the  motion  of  a  veiy  fast-flying  bird,  is 
almost,  if  not  quite  impossible,  and  the  attempt  to 
do  so  at  all,  is  apt  to  create  a  popping  habit.  When 
a  broad-bill,  driving  before  a  strong  northwester, 
darts  past,  the  best  plan  is  to  try  and  fire  many  feet, 


406  SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN, 

even  ten  or  fifteen,  ahead  of  him ;  and  then  you  will 
rarely  succeed  in  discharging  your  piece  before  he  is 
abreast  of  the  muzzle,  and  frequently  will  lag  behind 
him.  The  aim  must  be  taken  on  the  line  of  flight, 
and  a  little  attention  will  convince  you  that  the  bird 
is  up  with  the  sight  ere  the  trigger  is  fairly  pulled. 
A  knowledge  of  this  principle,  and  an  ability  to 
practise  it,  may  be  said  to  be  the  art  of  dnck-shoot- 
ing;  as  in  that  there  are  a  vast  majority  of  cross 
shots,  and  the  birds  fly  rapidly. 

There  is  an  erroneous  idea  that  the  eye  must  be 
lowered  close  down  to  the  breech,  in  order  to  have 
a  correct  aim  ;  but,  while  it  is  apparent  if  the  neck  is 
not  bent  at  all  there  can  be  no  aim,  a  slight  inaccuracy 
will  not  only  make  no  difference,  but  will  give  an 
advantage  by  throwing  the  shot  high.  It  will  be 
perceived,  on  fastening  the  gun  in  an  immovable 
position,  that  the  eye  may  be  moved  from  near  one 
hammer  to  the  other,  and  the  aim  altered  but  a  few 
inches,  on  an  object  thirty  yards  distant — an  inac- 
curacy, considering  the  spread  of  shot,  which  is 
utterly  unimportant. 

So  also,  although  by  the  attraction  of  gravitation 
the  charge  falls  somewhat,  the  deflection  is  too  in- 
considerable to  merit  attention. 

After  watching  himself  carefully,  reading  what 
the  best  authors  have  written,  and  comparing  ex- 
periences with  his  friends,  the  author  has  concluded 
that  experienced  sportsmen  miss  from  hesitation  in 
pulling  the  trigger,  dwelling  on  the  aim,  and  nerv- 
ously shrinking  from  the  recoil.     The   first  fault 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN.  407 

arises  from  some  temporary  or  permanent  con- 
dition of  miud  or  body,  the  second  from  anxiety 
to  make  assurance  doubly  sure,  and  the  last  from 
habit. 

If  a  man  is  naturally  slow  he  can  never  shoot  fast- 
flying  birds,  but  if  his  fingers  are  stiff  from  cold  he 
can  warm  them,  A  resolution  to  fire  boldly,  and  not 
to  dread  missing,  will  cure  the  over-anxiety  that 
destroys  its  own  intent,  but  to  meet  the  recoil  with- 
out giving  to  it,  or  pushing  against  it,  which  is  the 
more  common  mistake,  is  often  extremely  diflScult. 
This  unfortunate  habit,  occurring  at  the  moment  of 
highest  excitement  amid  the  noise  and  smoke,  is 
rarely  noticed  by  the  guilty  party,  and  some  will  at 
first  stoutly  deny  its  existence. 

To  mind  the  recoil  of  a  gun  seems  pusillanimous, 
and  few  can  believe,  till  assured  by  actual  experi- 
ment, that  it  equals  sixty  or  seventy  pounds,  and 
will  crush  the  bones  of  the  body  if  immovably  fixed. 
Let  the  reader  observe  the  next  time  that  his  gun  is 
unwittingly  left  at  half  cock,  how  far  he  will  pull  it 
out  of  aim,  and  how  he  will  push  against  it,  when  at- 
tempting to  discharge  it  at  game.  An  acquaintance 
of  the  wiiter,  who  would  scout  the  idea  of  being 
affected  by  the  recoil  of  his  gun,  and  indeed  would 
have  sworn  "  it  did  not  kick  a  bit,"  was  once  chas- 
ing a  diver  on  a  placid,  sluggish  stream,  in  a  dug-out. 
When  the  bird  rose  close  to  the  boat,  the  sportsman 
was  standing  erect,  poising  himself  with  care  in  the 
unsteady  craft,  but  as  he  pulled  the  trigger  he  in- 
stinctively pushed  60  hard,  that,  as  the  cap  snapped, 


408  SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN. 

he  lost  his  balance,  upset  the  canoe,  and  pitched  for- 
ward head-foremost  overboard ! 

Probably  one  half  of  the  fair  shots  that  are  missed 
escajje  on  account  of  this  unfortunate  nervousness ; 
and  it  is  a  habit  that  can  only  be  cured  by  inces- 
sant care  and  unrelaxed  watchfulness.  Anything 
that  affects  the  nerves,  as  smoking  or  drinking,  in- 
creases the  difficulty,  and  the  sudden  flushing  of  a 
bird  will  cause  it.  Unhappily  it  is  apt  to  be  most 
prevalent  when  the  shooting  is  good  and  the  sports- 
man excited,  thus  ruining  many  of  his  best  days. 
With  heavy  loads,  or  what  is  known  as  a  kicking 
gun,  the  error  will  be  aggravated;  and  most  per- 
sons have  no  idea  of  the  proper  proportions  of 
powder  and  shot,  putting  in  immense  quantities  of 
the  latter  and  sparing  the  former. 

The  true  load  for  a  gun  not  exceeding  eight 
pounds  in  weight,  regardless  of  its  size  or  bore,  is 
one  ounce  and  a  quarter  of  shot  and  three  drachms 
of  the  strongest  powder,  or  three  and  a  half  di'achms 
of  common  powder.  The  same  proportion  should 
be  retained  if  the  gun  is  heavier  or  the  charge  in- 
creased. Where  more  shot  is  used  power  is  lost 
and  recoil  aggravated;  and  if  the  powder  is  not 
augmented  one  ounce  of  shot  will  do  better  execution 
than  two. 

Many  persons  who  have  ascertained  this  fact  and 
practise  upon  it,  will  infonn  you  that  they  drive 
their  shot  through  the  birds,  and  consequently  kill 
them  instantly.  This  is  a  mistake ;  small  shot  are 
rarely,  if  ever,  driven  through  a  bird ;  but  where 


SUGGESTIONS  TO   SPORTSMEN.  409 

the  force  is  increased  the  blow  is  much  harder,  and 
stuns.  It  is  the  velocity  rather  than  the  size  or 
number  of  the  shot  that  tells.  A  soldier  in  battle 
was  struck  on  the  belt-plate  by  a  spent  minie  bullet 
not  a  half  inch  in  diameter,  and  he  described  him- 
self as  feeling  that  he  had  been  torn  to  pieces,  and 
that  a  cannon-ball  had  gone  directly  through  his 
body. 

The  size  of  the  shot  is  to  be  proportioned  to  the 
size  of  the  bird — weight,  of  course,  being  an  ele- 
ment of  power  and  telling  on  each  individual  pellet 
— ^but  the  more  the  aggregate  amount  can  be  re- 
duced the  less  the  recoil.  Six  drachms  of  powder 
and  one  ounce  of  shot,  will  not  occasion  as  much  re- 
coil as  three  drachms  of  powder  and  an  ounce  and  a 
half  of  shot. 

The  gun  should  always  be  held  firmly  to  the 
shoulder,  and  the  shoulder  never  rested  against 
a  solid  substance ;  indeed,  the  collar-bone  may  be 
broken  by  simply  firing  directly  upwards.  There- 
fore, never  fire  in  the  air  while  lying  on  your  back 
upon  the  ground,  and  be  careful  when  shooting  at 
ducks  from  a  boat  not  to  support  yourself  upon  the 
latter. 

If  the  reader  still  doubts  the  universally  disas- 
trous efiects  of  cringing  at  the  moment  of  discharge, 
let  him  have  an  assistant  to  load  the  gun  out  of 
sight,  who  without  his  knowledge  shall  vary  the 
load,  and  occasionally  put  in  none  at  all.  Then  let 
the  reader  fire  at  a  mark,  and  in  spite  of  the  efibrts 
which  he  will  naturally  make,  he  will  find  when 


410  SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN. 

there  is  no  load,  and  consequently  nothing  to  dis- 
tract his  attention,  that  he  does  shrink,  and  pull  the 
muzzle  somewhat  off  the  object. 

This  book  is  not  written  for  beginners ;  there  are 
plenty  of  works  with  every  variety  of  instruction 
in  them,  and  the  reader  is  supposed  to  have  read 
them,  digested  their  contents,  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  the  gun,  and  some  skill  in  its  use,  and  to  have 
been  frequently  in  the  field,  but  to  be  perfect 
neither  in  the  use  of  the  gun,  nor  the  practice  of  the 
sportsman's  art.  There  are,  however,  a  few  simple 
suggestions  that  may  prove  valuable,  not  only  in 
acquiring  the  ability  to  shoot,  but  in  restor- 
ing it  where,  from  want  of  practice,  it  has  dimi- 
nished. 

The  sportsman  must  be  as  quick  and  ready  in 
handling  his  gun  as  the  juggler  in  handling  his 
tools ;  he  must  be  able  to  bring  it  to  his  shoulder 
and  point  the  muzzle  at  a  stationary  mark  simul- 
taneously, to  aim  in  every  direction  Avith  equal 
facility,  and  to  follow  a  moving  object  accurately. 
This  is  merely  mechanical,  and  is  acquired,  like 
every  other  mechanical  art,  by  dint  of  practice. 

Some  writers  recommend  firing  at  turnips  tossed 
through  the  air  by  an  assistant,  and  this  is  well; 
but  an  equally  advantageous  plan  is  to  throw  a  soft 
ball  about  a  room  and  take  aim  at  it,  pulling  the 
trigger  every  time,  with  an  unloaded  and  uncocked 
gun.  The  sole,  but  important,  recommendation  of 
this  idea  is,  that  it  may  be  carried  out  anywhere 
and  at  all  seasons,  and  if  the  reader  will  try  it  daily 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN".  411 

for  a  week  before  going  into  the  field,  he  will  per- 
ceive the  effects. 

So  also,  to  acquire  quickness :  if  the  reader  will 
throw  two  small  objects — pennies,  or  the  like — into 
the  air,  and  endeavor  to  aim  at  or  hit  them  both 
before  they  reach  the  ground,  he  will  in  a  short  time 
obtain  such  facility  that  he  will  be  able  to  lay  down 
his  gun,  and  after  throwing  the  pennies,  to  pick  it 
up  and  hit  them  both  twice  out  of  three  times. 

To  shoot  at  pigeons  from  a  trap,  robins  from 
trees,  and  even  swallows  on  the  wing,  although  thq 
practice  differs  greatly  from  shooting  at  game,  is 
useful  to  a  certain  extent ;  but  steady  and  long-con- 
tinued, practice  of  this  nature  is  injurious  rather 
than  beneficial.  It  is  somewhat  notorious  that  the 
celebrated,  pigeon-shots  are  generally  poor  marks- 
men in  the  field,  and  entirely  at  a  loss  in  thick 
covert. 

After  all,  however,  the  best  place  to  learn  the  use 
of  the  gun,  while  it  is  by  all  odds  the  pleasantest,  is 
in  the  field ;  where,  amid  the  thousand  beauties  of 
nature,  and  under  the  excitement  of  the  presence  of 
game,  the  sportsman  by  slow  degrees  overcomes 
the  innumerable  difficulties  that  surround  the  art 
of  shooting  flying. 

Closely  allied  to  skill  in  killing  the  right  object  is 
the  ability  to  avoid  killing  the  wrong  one.  A  gun  is 
extremely  dangerous — how  much  so  is  known  only 
to  those  who  have  handled  it  long ;  in  spite  of  the 
best  care  it  will  occasionally  go  off  at  unexpected 
times,  and  in  careless  hands  is  sure,  sooner  or  later, 


412  SUGGESTIONS  TO   SPORTSMEN. 

to  do  terrible  damage.  Every  possible  precaution 
must  be  taken,  vigilance  must  never  be  relaxed,  the 
muzzle  miwt  under  no  circumstances  point  tov»"ards 
the  owner  or  his  companions ;  if  two  men  are  crawl- 
ing through  thick  brush,  the  gim  of  the  first  must 
point  forwards,  and  of  the  last,  backwards;  the  caps 
of  muzzle-loaders  should  be  removed  on  getting 
into  a  wagon,  and  when  the  loaded  weapon  is  left 
in  a  house  the  hammers  ought  never  to  be  left 
down  on  the  caps ;  but,  above  all,  no  man  who  is 
not  in  search  of  an  early  grave  should  pull  a  gun 
towards  him  by  the  barrels. 

These  rules  are  simple,  and  the  reasons  for  them 
apparent;  if  the  hammer  is  on  the  cap,  a  blow  on  it, 
or  its  catching  on  a  twig,  will  discharge  the  load ; 
if  a  horse  runs  away,  as  horses  have  an  unpleasant 
habit  of  doing,  even  if  the  lock  is  at  half-cock,  the 
tumbler  may  be  broken  down;  if  a  gun  is  capped  in 
a  house,  every  one  but  an  idiot  knows  it  is  loaded; 
and  if  it  is  drawn  towards  a  person — as  will  be 
often  done  by  thoughtless  people  in  taking  it  from 
a  wagon  or  lifting  it  from  a  boat  or  from  the  ground 
— it  is  almost  sure  to  go  off. 

In  the  fielvi  it  should  be  carried  either  at  whole  or 
half-cock;  authorities  differ  as  to  which  of  these 
two  modes  is  the  safer.  If  the  hammer  is  at  full 
cock,  a  touch  on  the  trigger  will  set  it  loose ;  if  it  is 
at  half-cock,  in  the  excitement  of  cocking  it  when  a 
bird  rises  unexpectedly,  it  will  often  slip  uninten- 
tionally. I  prefer  the  former  method,  believing 
that  the  sense  of  danger  makes  the  person  more 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN.  413 

careful,  and  that  the  risk  of  a  twig's  touching  the 
trigger  in  spite  of  the  trigger-guard  is  very  slight, 
while  the  weapon  is  ready  for  instant  use,  and  only 
has  to  be  pointed  at  the  object  and  discharged. 
Moreover,  I  have  twice  seen  a  gun  that  was  at  half- 
cock  discharged  when  the  sportsman  was  in  the  act 
of  cocking  it  hastily,  and  twice  when  putting  it 
back  to  half-cock;  but  the  piece  should  never  for  a 
moment  be  trusted  out  of  the  sportsman's  hands 
without  his  first  putting  it  at  half-cock ;  nor  should 
he  ever  cross  a  fence  without  the  same  precaution. 
In  changing  from  whole  to  half-cock,  pass  the  ham- 
mer below  the  first  notch,  so  as  to  hear  a  distinct 
click  when  it  is  drawn  back. 

Countrymen  when  about  to  walk  a  log  over  a 
rapid  stream,  will  usually  carefully  put  the  hammers 
down  on  the  caps,  and  placing  the  butt  on  the  log, 
steady  themselves  by  it,  thus  insuring  their  destruc- 
tion if  they  should  happen  to  slip ;  and  if  they  stand 
on  a  fence  they  do  the  same  thing,  and  rest  the 
stock  on  the  upper  rail.  Not  only  should  such  fol- 
lies be  avoided,  but  the  gun  should  never  be  leaned 
against  a  tree,  as  thoughtless  people  are  apt  to  do 
when  they  stop  at  a  spring  to  drink,  and  never 
placed  where  it  can  slip  or  roll. 

When  you  desire  to  reload  a  muzzle-loader,  put  the 
hammer  of  the  loaded  barrel  at  half-cock,  and  if  the 
right  barrel  has  been  discharged,  set  down  the  butt 
so  that  the  hanmiers  arc  towards  you,  and  the  con- 
trary way  if  thp  left  barrel  is  to  be  loaded ;  in  this 
manner  you  will  avoid  bringing  your  hand  over  the 


414  SUGGESTIONS  TO  SPORTSMEN. 

loaded  barrel,  and  in  case  the  other  charge  should 
go  off  you  would  lose  the  end  of  your  thumb,  perhaps, 
but  save  most  of  your  fingers. 

From  the  foregoing  rules,  which  apply  mainly  to 
muzzle-loaders,  it  will  be  seen  how  much  safer  arc 
breech-loaders  ;  with  them  the  entire  charge  can  be 
withdrawn  on  entering  a  house  or  getting  into  a 
wagon,  and  there  is  absolutely  no  danger  to  fingers 
or  thumb  in  the  process  of  loading.  And  in  carrying 
the  weapon  on  long  tramps  in  the  woods,  where  it 
is  frequently  removed  from  boat  to  shoulder,  from 
shoulder  to  boat,  and  from  wagon  to  case,  and  when 
it  has  to  be  ready  at  any  instant,  with  the  muzzle- 
loader  the  only  possible  precaution  is  to  leave  the 
nipples  without  caps,  which  are  to  be  carried  in  the 
vest  pocket,  and  must  be  removed  after  every  vain 
alarm;  while  with  the  breech-loader,  the  charge 
itself  is  not  insej-ted  till  needed. 

With  these  few  suggestions,  which  are  apijlicable 
not  merely  to  the  kinds  of  sport  treated  of  in  this 
volume,  but  to  every  species  of  shooting,  we  leave 
the  young  sportsman  to  his  own  resources  and  to  the 
knowledge  that  he  will  acquire  in  the  field,  hoping 
that  he  may  find  something  in  them  that  will  aid  him 
to  kill  reasonably  often  tlie  game  he  points  at,  and 
to  avoid  the  dreadful  misfortune  of  injuring  a  friend 
or  companion. 


CfHAPTER   XL 

DIRECTIONS   FOR   BUILDING   A   BATTERY. 

A  battery,  or  sink-boat  as  it  is  called  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,  is  a  narrow  box  with  a  plat- 
form around  it,  so  arranged  that  the  Aveight  of  the 
shooter  will  sink  it  so  nearly  level  with  the  water 
that  the  ducks  will  not  notice  it  when  it  is  hidden 
among  the  stand  of  stools  that  are  always  anchored 
around  it.  The  box  is  almost  square,  narrowed  a 
little  on  the  bottom  and  at  the  foot,  twenty-two 
inches  across  at  the  head,  eighteen  at  the  foot  on  the 
top,  and  four  less  on  the  bottom;  the  two  end  pieces 
are  of  one  and  a  half  inch  oak,  the  sides  of  three- 
quarter  inch  white  pine.  It  is  fifteen  inches  deep, 
except  at  the  head,  which  shoals  up  to  six  inches, 
beginning  about  two  feet  abaft  the  end.  This  is 
done  in  order  to  enable  the  sportsman  to  look  over 
the  edge  of  the  box  without  getting  a  cramp  in  his 
neck,  and  besides  to  reduce  the  flotation  of  the  bat- 
tery as  much  as  possible,  which  is  a  most  important 
thing  to  effect.  The  narrowing  of  the  bottom  is  for 
the  same  purpose  of  diminishing  the  buoyancy,  for 
as  it  has  to  be  sunk  to  the  level  of  the  water  if  the 
weight  of  the  sportsman  Avill  not  bring  it  down  suf- 
ficiently, iron  weights,  or  what  is  far  preferable, 
iron  decoys,  have  to  be  placed  in  it  or  on  it,  and 
weights  in  the  box  are  always  in  the  way. 


416      DIRECTIONS   TOR  BUILDING   A   BATTERY. 

Two  oak  carlings  are  cut  out  six  feet  long,  one 
and  a  quarter  inch  thick,  and  two  and  a  lialf  wide 
in  the  middle,  tapering  off  to  one  and  a  quarter  at 
the  ends,  with  a  bow  or  spring  of  an  inch  from  the 
center  to  the  extremities.  Nail  these  firmly  on  each 
end  an  inch  below  the  top  of  the  box,  and  to  them 
fasten  the  platform,  which  is  made  of  planed  stuff 
ten  feet  long,  and  to  each  end  of  which  a  batten  is 
nailed  as  well  as  a  short  additional  carling  in  the 
middle,  projecting  from  the  side  of  the  box.  Fill 
in  the  liead  and  foot  of  the  platform  with  short 
pieces,  so  as  to  make  it  compact,  and  take  especial 
care  to  have  it  fit  tightly  around  the  box.  As  it  is 
made  of  three-quarter  inch  stuff,  there  will  be  left  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  all  around  the  box  to  which, 
when  the  other  work  is  done,  a  narrow  piece  of  lead 
is  nailed  that  can  be  raised  to  keep  out  the  water  in 
rough  weather.  Two  boards,  or  what  is  better,  two 
frames  covered  with  duck,  are  hinged  together  by 
leather  hinges.  These  are  one  foot  wide  each,  and 
as  long  as  the  platform,  and  are  hinged  to  it  on  both 
sides.  A  foot-piece  made  of  two  boards  is  hinged 
to  the  foot  in  the  same  way.  To  the  head  it  is  cus- 
tomary, on  Long  Island,  to  fasten  a  fender  of  the 
width  of  the  battery  and  wings,  and  eighteen  or 
twenty  feet  long.  It  is  made  of  duck  nailed  to  thin 
wooden  slats,  is  tied  on  to  the  battery  when  in  use, 
and  taken  off  at  other  times.  In  other  parts  of  the 
country  it  is  customary  to  dispense  with  the  fender 
and  substitute  a  head  wing  of  three  boards  hinged 
on  like  the  foot  and  side  wings.     A  single  board, 


DIBECTIONS  FOR  BUILDING   A  BATTERY.      417 

fourteen  to  sixteen  inches  wide,  can  be  used  at  the 
foot  in  place  of  the  double  foot  wing.  Sometimes 
an  additional  row  of  lead  is  put  on  about  the  middle 
of  the  platform  as  an  additional  breakwater. 

The  battery  is  anchored  at  both  ends.  From  the 
head  of  the  fender  a  sort  of  bridle,  a  short  rope  tied 
into  the  two  corners,  is  fastened  at  the  center  or 
bight  to  the  anchor  rope.  A  small  grapnel  or  light 
anchor  is  used  at  the  head,  as  it  is  important  that  it 
should  not  drag,  while  at  the  stern,  to  a  rope  led 
through  a  hole  in  the  foot  board,  a  stone  is  fastened. 
This  is  arranged  in  this  way  as  it  is  occasionally 
'tiecessary  to  haul  it  in  and  throw  it  out  again  on  a 
change  of  wind.  The  entire  surface  of  the  battery, 
wings  and  all,  is  to  be  painted  a  dull  blue,  as  near 
the  color  of  the  Avater  as  possible.  The  necessary 
iron  decoys,  to  bring  the  whole  structure  down  to  a 
level  with  the  water,  are  set  upon  the  platform,  and 
the  stand  of  stools,  not  less  than  a  hundred  and 
fifty,  and  double  that  number  is  better,  are  placed 
around  the  battery,  mostly  at  the  foot  and  towards 
the  left  side  if  the  shooter  is  right-handed.  A  bot- 
tom board  of  half-inch  stuff,  witli  half-inch  cleats 
under  it,  is  put  i:i  the  bottom  of  the  box  for  the 
gunner  to  lie  on,  and  all  is  ready  for  the  exercises  to 
begin.  A  sink-box  made  on  this  plan  will  stand 
quite  a  heavy  sea,  but  care  must  be  exercised  in  tak- 
ing it  up  that  the  wind  does  not  get  under  the  fen- 
der when  it  is  being  hauled  aboard  the  sailing  vessel, 
that  is  ordinarily  used  in  this  kind  of  shooting,  for 
if  it  does,  and  it  is  blowing  at  all  hard,  the  fender. 


418      DIRECTIONS   FOR  BUILDING  A  BATTERY. 

box,  platform  and  all  will  be  lifted  out  of  the  water 
and  tossed  skyward.  Wear  dull-colored  clothes,  nev- 
er a  red  shirt,  and  a  cap  in  battery  shooting.  And 
first  and  last,  remember  never  to  rise  to  shoot  before 
the  birds  are  well  into  the  lower  portion  of  the 
stools.  More  birds  are  lost  by  getting  up  too  soon 
to  shoot  than  from  any  other  cause. 


APPENDIX. 


The  following  technical  descriptions  are  taken 
mainly  from  "  Giraud's  Birds  of  Long  Island,"  a 
work  that  is  now  almost  out  of  print,  but  which  is 
more  valuable  to  the  student  of  nature  than  some  of 
its  more  pretentious  rivals ;  and  I  have  interpolated 
such  suggestions  and  made  such  alterations  as  my 
experience  dictated  and  the  purposes  of  this  work 
demanded.  A  discourse  on  the  wild-fowl  of  the 
Northern  States  hardly  seemed  complete  without 
such  a  description  of  them  as  wonld  enable  the  sports- 
man to  distinguish  one  from  another ;  and  yet  it  "was 
not  within  the  purview  of  a  work  intended  for 
sportsmen,  to  devote  much  attention  or  many  of  its 
pages  to  ornithology.  This  is  therefore  condensed 
into  an  Appendix,  where  it  will  not  trouble  the 
general  reader,  but  will  be  easy  of  reference  when  the 
information  it  contains  is  wanted. 

The  Goose. 

Genus  Anser,  Briss. 

Generic  Distinctions. — ^In  this  class  of  birds,  the 
bill  is  shorter  than  the  head,  rather  higher  than 
broad  at  the  base ;  head  small,  compressed ;  neck 
long  and  slender ;  body  full ;  feet  short,  stout,  and 


420  APPENDIX. 

central,  which  enables  them  to  walk  with  ease ;  winga 
long ;  tail  short,  rounded. 

The  Wild  Goose. 

Canada  Goose. 

Anas  Oanadensls,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Length  ofbill  from  the  corner 
of  the  mouth  to  the  end,  two  inches  and  three-six- 
teenths; length  of  tarsi,  two  inches  and  seven- 
eighths  ;  length  from  the  point  of  the  bill  to  the  end 
of  the  tail,  about  forty  inches  ;  wing,  eighteen  ;  the 
head  and  greater  portion  of  the  neck  black  ;  cheeks 
and  throat  white.  Adult  with  the  head,  greater 
part  of  the  neck,  primaries,  rump,  and  tail,  black  ; 
back  and  wings  brown,  margined  with  paler  brown  ; 
lower  part  of  the  neck  and  under  plumage,  whitish- 
grey  ;  flanks,  darker  grey  ;  cheeks  and  throat  white, 
as  are  the  upper  and  under  tail-coverts.  The  plu- 
mage of  the  female  rather  duller. 

This  bird  is  nowhere  very  abundant,  but  migrates 
across  the  Northern  States  in  their  entire  breadth 
from  ocean  to  ocean  ;  it  obeys  the  call  well,  and 
stools  readily  if  the  gunner  is  carefully  concealed. 
It  is  the  latest  in  its  migrations  of  the  wild-fowl. 

The  Bbant. 

Barnacle  Goose — Brent  Goose. 
Anas  Bernida,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  black  ;  head  and  neck  all 
round  black ;  a  patch  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  white  ; 


APPENDIX.  421 

upper  parts  brownish-grey,  the  feathers  margined 
with  light  greyish-brown ;  quills  and  primary  coverts 
greyish-black ;  fore  part  of  breast  light  brownish- 
grey,  the  feathers  terminally  margined  with  greyish- 
white  ;  abdomen  and  lower  tail-coverts  white  ;  sides 
grey;  feathers  rather  broadly  tipped  with  white. 
Length  two  feet ;  wing  fourteen  inches  and  a  half. 
Female  rather  smaller. 

The  brant  is  not  fond  of  the  fresh  lakes  and  streams, 
but  prefers  the  ocean  and  its  contiguous  bays  and 
lagoons  ;  it  is  far  more  abundant  along  the  sea-coast 
than  upon  the  western  waters,  and  in  fact  I  am  not 
aware  that  I  have  ever  killed  one  in  the  inland  States. 
It  responds  to  its  peculiar  note,  stools  well,  and  is 
often  killed  in  great  numbers  on  the  South  Bay  of 
Long  Island. 

The  Swan. 
Genus  Cygnus,  Meyer. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  longer  than  the  head, 
higher  than  broad  at  the  base,  depressed  and  a  little 
widened  towards  the  end ;  upper  mandible,  rounded, 
with  the  dorsal  line  sloping ;  lower  mandible  flat- 
tened, with  the  angle  very  long,  and  rather  narrow ; 
nostrils  placed  near  the  ridge ;  head  of  moderate 
size,  oblong,  compressed ;  neck  extremely  long  and 
slender;  body  very  large,  compact,  depressed;  feet 
short,  stout,  placed  a  little  behind  the  centime  of  the 
body ;  tarsi  short ;  wings  long,  broad ;  tail  veiy  short, 
graduated. 


423  APPENDIX. 

The  White  Swan. 

American  Swan. 
Cygnus  Americanus,  Aud. 

Specific  Character. — ^Plumage,  pure  white;  bill 
and  feet  black ;  length  of  the  specimen  before  us, 
four  feet ;  wing  twenty-one  and  a  half  inches. 

These  magnificent  birds,  the  most  majestic  of  the 
game-birds  of  our  continent,  are  rarely  shot  to  the 
northward  and  eastward  of  Chesapeake  bay,  but 
are  much  more  abundant  in  the  far  West — even  to 
and  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Fbesh-Water  Ducks. 

Gentis  Anas,  Linn. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  higher  than  broad  at 
the  base,  widening  towards  the  end,  and  about  the 
same  length  as  the  head ;  the  upper  mandible  with  a 
slight  nail  at  the  end  ;  neck  rather  long ;  body  full ; 
wings  moderate,  pointed ;  feet  short,  stout,  and  placed 
behind  the  centre  of  the  body ;  walks  with  a  wad- 
dling gait ;  hind  toe  furnished  with  a  narrow  mem- 
brane. 

Mallard. 

Green  Head,   English    Duck,   Grey   Duck  (female),    the 
Duck,  the  Wild  Duck. 

Anas  Boschas,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Speculum  bright  purple,  re- 
flecting green,  bordered   with   black;   secondaries 


APPENDIX.  423 

broadly  tipped  with  black;  secondary  coverts  to. 
wards  their  ends  white,  broadly  tipped  with  black ; 
adult  male  with  the  entire  head  and  upper  part  of 
the  neck  bright  green,  with  a  few  touches  of  red- 
dish-brown passing  from  the  forehead,  on  the  occi- 
put; middle  of  the  neck  with  a  white  ring;  the 
lower  part  of  the  neck  and  breast  reddish-brown, 
approaching  to  chocolate ;  fore  part  of  the  back  light 
brown,  rest  of  the  back  darker ;  rump  black ;  upper 
tail  coverts  greenish-black ;  upper  parts  of  the  wings 
brown,  intermixed  with  grey ;  breast,  sides,  flanks, 
and  abdomen,  grey,  transversely  barred  with  dusky ; 
bill  greenish-yellow ;  feet  reddish-orange ;  tail  round- 
ed, consisting  of  sixteen  pointed  feathers,  nearly 
white ;  speculum  violet ;  length  two  feet,  wing 
eleven  inches. 

Female  smaller  than  the  male ;  speculum  less  bril- 
liant ;  general  plumage  brown ;  head  and  neck 
streaked  with  dusky ;  the  feathers  on  the  back  and 
flanks  margined  with  white,  with  a  central  spot  of 
brown  on  the  outer  webs ;  bill  black,  changing  to 
orange  at  the  extremity. 

This  bird  is  abundant  both  at  the  West  and  along 
the  coast,  but  on  the  fresh  water  it  frequents  the 
mud-holes  and  shallow  marshes,  in  contradistinction 
to  the  open  water-ducks  that  aflect  the  broad  un- 
broken stretches  of  water. 


424  APPENDIX. 

Black  Duck. 

Dusky  Duck. 

Anas  Obscura,  Wils. 

Specific  Character.  —  General  plumage  dusky ; 
speculum  green,  reflecting  purple,  bordered  with 
black ;  secondaries  tipped  with  white.  Adult  with 
the  forehead,  crown,  occiput,  and  middle  space  on 
the  hind  neck  brownish-black,  the  feathers  slightly 
margined  with  greyish-brown  ;  cheeks,  loral  space, 
and  sides  of  the  neck  dusky  grey,  streaked  with 
black ;  throat  reddish-brown ;  general  plumage  dusky, 
lighter  beneath ;  under  wing-coverts  white ;  specu- 
lum brilliant  green ;  bill  yellowish ;  feet  reddish- 
orange.  Female  rather  smaller,  plumage  lighter, 
speculum  less  brilliant.  Length  of  male  about  two 
feet ;  wing  eleven  inches. 

These  ducks  are  killed  equally  in  the  fresh  and 
salt  waters ;  they  come  to  the  decoys  warily. 

Gadwall. 

Welsh  Drake,  German  Duck. 

Arios  Strepera,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Speculum  white  ;  secondary 
coverts  black ;  upper  wing-coverts  chestnut  red ; 
general  plumage  dusky  grey,  waved  with  white; 
abdomen  white.  Adult  Avith  the  bill  bluish-black ; 
liead  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  grey,  streaked  with 
dusky — darkest  on  the  upper  part  of  the  head,  as 
well  as  the  middle  space  on  the  hind  neck ;  lower 


APPENDIX.  425 

neck,  upper  part  of  the  breast  and  fore  part  of  the 
back  blackish-brown,  the  feathers  marked  with  semi- 
circular bands  of  white,  more  distinctly  on  the  fore 
part  of  the  neck  and  upper  part  of  the  breast ;  sides 
of  the  body  pencilled  with  greyish-white  and  dusky ; 
lower  part  of  the  breast  and  abdomen  white,  the 
latter  barred  with  dusky  towards  the  vent ;  lower 
and  upper  tail-coverts  and  sides  of  the  rump  green- 
isli-black ;  tail  greyish-brown,  margined  with  white ; 
hind  part  of  the  back  dark  brown,  faintly  barred 
with  white ;  primaries  brown ;  secondaries  greyish- 
brown,  tipped  with  white ;  middle  coverts  reddish- 
brown  ;  a  few  of  the  outer  secondaries  broadly  mar- 
gined with  greenish-black;  inner  scapulars  brown, 
broadly  margined  with  dull  yellowish-brown ;  outer 
undulated  with  dark  brown  and  yellowish-white; 
feet  dull  orange.  Female  two  inches  shorter ;  about 
four  inches  less  in  extent.  Length  twenty-one  inches 
and  a  half;  wing  eleven. 

This  is  an  ugly  duck,  and  not  much  esteemed  by 
epicure  or  sportsman. 

WiDGEOX. 

Bald-pate. 

Anas  Americana,  Wils. 

tSpeciJic  Character. — Bill  short,  the  color  light 
greyish-blue;  speculum  green,  banded  with  black; 
under  wing-coverts  white.  Adult  male  with  the 
loral  space,  sides  of  the  head  below  the  eye,  jpper 
part  of  the  neck  and  throat,  brownish-white,  spotted 


426  APPENDIX. 

with  black ;  a  broad  band  of  white,  commencing  at 
the  base  of  the  upper  mandible,  passing  over  the 
crown ;  behind  the  eye,  a  broad  band  of  light 
green,  extending  backwards  on  the  hind  neck  about 
three  inches  ;  the  feathers  on  the  nape  rather  long ; 
lower  neck  and  sides  of  the  breast,  with  a  portion 
of  the  upper  part  of  the  breast,  reddish-brown ;  rest 
of  the  lower  parts  white,  excepting  a  patch  of  black 
at  the  base  of  the  tail;  under  tail-coverts  same 
color;  flanks  brown,  barred  with  dusky;  tail  grey- 
ish-brown, tipped  with  white ;  two  middle  feathers 
darker  and  longest ;  upper  tail-coverts  white, 
barred  with  dusky;  lower  part  of  the  hind-neck 
and  fore  part  of  the  back  undulated  with  brownish 
and  light  brownish-red,  hind  part  undulated  with 
greyish-white ;  primaries  brown ;  outer  webs  of 
inner  secondaries  black,  margined  with  white — in- 
ner webs  greyish-brown ;  secondary  coverts  white 
tipped  with  black  ;  speculum  brilliant  green,  formed 
by  the  middle  secondaries.  Length  twenty-one 
inches,  wing  ten  and  a  half.  Female  smaller,  plu- 
mage duller,  without  the  green  markings. 

This  duck  is  much  prized  along  the  sea-coast,  but 
at  the  "West  he  holds  an  inferior  rank. 

Pintail. 

Sprig-tail — Pigeon-tail— Grey-Duck. 

Anas  Acuta,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — ^Bill  long  and  narrow,  lead 
color ;  at,  the  tip  a  spot  of  black,  at  the  comer  of 


APPENDIX.  437 

the  mouth  a  spot  of  similai"  color;  neck  long  and 
slender ;  speculum  bright  purple,  with  reflecting 
deep  green  bordered  with  black;  the  feathers 
broadly  tipped  with  white ;  tail  long  and  })ointed. 
Adult  male  with  head,  cheeks,  throat,  upper  parts 
of  the  neck  in  front  and  sides,  dark  brown ;  a  band 
of  light  purple  behind  the  eye,  extending  about 
three  inches  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  ;  on  the  hind 
neck  a  band  of  black,  Avith  green  reflections,  fading 
as  it  extends  on  the  back — a  band  of  white  com- 
mencing between  the  two  former,  passing  down 
the  neck  on  the  lower  part  of  the  fore  neck ;  breast 
and  fore  part  of  the  abdomen  white,  tinged  with 
pale  yellow — hind  part  of  the  abdomen  and  vent 
greyish-white  tinged  with  yellow,  and  marked  with 
undulated  lines  of  brown  or  dusky ;  at  the  base  of 
the  tail  a  patch  of  black ;  under  tail-coverts  black, 
margined  with  whitish ;  two  middle  feathers  black, 
with  green  reflections,  narrow,  and  about  three 
inches  longer  than  the  rest,  which  are  rather  long 
and  tapering ;  upper  tail-coverts  ash-grey,  margined 
with  yellowish-white,  with  a  central  streak  of 
dusky.  Rump  gi'eyish-brown,  marked  with  undulat- 
ing lines  of  white ;  sides  of  the  rump  cream  color ; 
sides  of  the  body,  back,  and  sides  of  the  breast, 
marked  with  undulating  lines  of  black  and  white. 
Primaries  brown  ;  shafts  brownish-white,  darker  at 
their  tips;  secondaries  and  scapulars  black,  with 
green  reflections,  the  former  margined  with  grey, 
which  is  the  color  of  the  greater  part  of  the  outer 
web,  the  latter  margined  with  white;    speculum 


428  APPENDIX. 

bright  purple,  with  splendid  green  reflections  edged 
with  black,  the  feathers  broadly  tipped  with  white. 
Length  twenty-nine  inches,  wing  eleven.  Female 
with  the  upper  part  of  the  head  and  hind  neck  dai'k 
brown,  streaked  with  dusky ;  sides  of  the  throat  and 
fore  neck  lighter ;  a  few  touches  of  rust  color  on 
the  chin  and  on  the  base  of  the  bill.  Upper  plu- 
mage brown,  the  feathers  margined  and  tipped 
with  brownish- white ;  lower  plumage  brownish- 
white,  mottled  with  brown ;  speculum  less  exten- 
sive, and  v/ithout  the  lengthened  tail  feathers  so 
conspicuous  in  the  male. 

This  duck  is  more  abundant  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  great  lakes  than  along  the  margin  of  the 
ocean;  in  epicurean  qualities  it  ranks  with  the 
black  duck. 

Wood-Duck. 

Summer-Duck. 

Anas  Sponsa,  Aud. 

Specific  Character. — The  pendant  crest,  the 
throat,  upper  portion  of  the  fore  neck,  and  bands 
on  the  sides  of  the  neck  white,  with  the  speculum 
blue,  glossed  with  green  and  tipped  with  white. 
Adult  male  with  the  bill  bright  red  at  the  base,  the 
sides  yellow ;  between  the  nostrils  a  black  spot 
reaching  neai-ly  to  the  black,  hooked  nail ;  the  head 
is  furnished  with  long  silken  feathers,  which  fall 
gracefully  over  the  hind  neck,  in  certain  lights 
exhibiting  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow ;  a  narrow 


APPENDIX.  429 

white  line  from  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible, 
passing  over  the  eye  ;  a  broader  band  of  the  same 
color  behind  the  eye,  both  bands  mingling  with  the 
long  feathers  on  the  occiput;  throat  and  upper 
portion  of  the  fore  neck  pure  white,  a  band  of  the 
same  color  inclining  towards  the  eye ;  a  similar  band 
on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  nearly  meeting  on  the 
nape ;  lower  portion  of  the  neck  reddish-purple,  the 
fore  part  marked  with  triangular  spots  of  white ; 
breast  and  abdomen  dull  white ;  sides  of  the  body 
yellowish-grey,  undulated  with  black ;  the  feathers 
towards  the  ends  marked  with  a  broad  band  of  black, 
succeeded  by  a  band  of  white ;  tips  black ;  tail  and 
upper  tail-coverts  greenish-black ;  lower  tail-coverts 
brown ;  sides  of  the  rump  dull  reddish-purple ; 
rump,  back,  and  middle  portions  of  the  hind  neck, 
dark  reddish-brown,  tinged  with  green ;  a  broad 
white  band  before  the  wings,  terminating  with 
black ;  lesser  wing-coverts  and  primaries  brown, 
most  of  the  latter  with  a  portion  of  their  outer 
webs  silvery  white ;  the  inner  webs  glossed  with 
green  towards  the  ends;  secondaries  tipped  with 
white ;  their  webs  blue,  glossed  with  green  ;  the 
inner  webs  brown^  their  crowns  violet-blue  ;  secon- 
daiies  black. 

Female,  upper  part  of  the  head  dusky,  glossed 
with  green  ;  sides  of  the  head,  upper  portion  of  the 
sides  of  the  neck,  with  the  nape,  greyish-brown  ;  a 
white  patch  behind  the  eye ;  throat  white,  the 
bands  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  faintly  developed ; 
fore  part  and  sides  of  the  neck,  with  the  sides  of  the 


430  APPENDIX. 

body,  yellowish-brown,  marked  with  greyish-brown  ; 
breast  and  abdomen  white,  the  former  spotted  with 
brown ;  lower  tail-coverts  greyish-white,  mottled 
with  brown  ;  tail  and  upper  tail-coverts  dark  brown, 
glossed  with  green  ;  rump,  back,  and  hind  neck, 
dark  brown,  glossed  with  green  and  purple ;  bill 
dusky,  feet  dull  green.  The  crest  less  than  that 
of  the  male,  and  plain  dull  brown.  Length  twenty 
inches  ;  wing  eight  inches  and  a  half. 

This  is  an  extremely  beautiful  duck,  but  of  mode- 
rate size  ;  it  is  rare  on  the  sea-coast,  but  absolutely 
swarms  during  the  month  of  September  among  the 
lily-pads  of  the  Western  swamps.  Fed  upon  the 
berry  of  this  jjlant,  called  at  the  South  chincapin,  it 
becomes  fat  and  deliciously  tender.  It  does  not 
pay  much  attention  to  decoys. 

Green- Winged  Teal. 

Anas. 

Anas  Crecca,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  black,  short,  and  nar- 
row ;  the  outer  webs  of  the  first  five  secondaries 
black,  tipped  with  white;  the  next  five  plain  rich 
green,  forming  the  speculum;  secondary  coverts 
tipped  with  pale  reddish-bufi;  Adult  male  with  a 
dusky  band  at  the  base  of  the  bill,  of  which  color  is 
the  throat ;  a  faint  white  band  under  the  eye ;  upper 
part  of  the  neck,  sides  of  the  head,  and  the  crown, 
chestnut  brown  ;  a  broad  band  of  bright  green  com- 
mencing behind  the  eye,  passing  down  on  the  nape, 


APPENDIX.  431 

where  it  is  separated  by  the  terminal  portion  of  the 
crest,  which  is  dark  blue ;  lower  part  of  the  hind 
neck,  a  small  space  on  the  fore  neck,  and  the  sides 
of  the  body,  undulated  with  lines  of  black  and 
white;  lower  portion  of  the  fore  neck  and  upper 
part  of  the  breast  reddish-brown,  distinctly  marked 
with  round  spots  of  brownish-black ;  abdomen  yel- 
lowish-white, faintly  undulated  with  dusky;  a  patch 
of  black  under  the  tail ;  outer  tail-feathers  buff,  in- 
ner white,  with  a  large  spot  of  black  on  the  inner 
Avebs ;  tail  brown,  margined  with  whitish,  the  outer 
feathers  greenish-black ;  upper  parts  brown,  faintly 
undulated  with  black  and  white,  on  the  fore  part  of 
the  back ;  outer  scapulars  similar,  with  a  portion  of 
their  outer  webs  black ;  lesser  wing-coverts  brown- 
ash;  greater  coverts  tipped  with  reddish-cream; 
the  first  five  secondaries  velvety-black ;  the  next  five 
bright  green,  forming  the  speculum,  which  is 
bounded  above  by  pale  leddish-buff,  and  on  each 
side  by  deep  black ;  before  the  wing  a  transverse, 
broad  white  band. 

Female  smaller;  head  and  neck  streaked  with 
brownish-white  and  dusky,  darker  on  the  upper 
part  of  the  head ;  lower  parts  reddish-brown,  the 
feathers  margined  with  dusky,  upper  parts  dusky- 
brown,  the  feathers  margined  and  spotted  with  pale 
reddish-white,  without  the  chestnut  red  and  the 
green  on  the  head ;  the  black  patch  is  wanting,  as  is 
the  white  band  before  the  wings,  the  conspicuous 
spot  on  the  wings  is  less  extensive.  Its  short  and 
narrow  bill  is  at  all  times  a  strong  specific  character ; 


432  APPENDIX.      . 

length   fifteen  inches ;    wing   seven  inches  and  a 
half. 

This  is  an  excellent  little  duck,  too  confiding  for  its 
own  security,  but  capable  of  saving  itself  by  great 
rapidity  of  flight.  It  is  greatly  attracted  by  decoys, 
and  will  generally  alight  among  them  if  permitted. 

Blue-Winged  Teal. 

Anas  Discors,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  bluish-black  and  long  in 
proportion  with  the  other  dimensions  of  this  species ; 
smaller  wing-coverts  light-blue ;  speculum  purplish- 
green.  Adult  male  with  the  upper  part  of  the  head 
black ;  a  broad  band  of  white  on  the  sides  of  the 
head,  before  the  eye  margined  with  black ;  rest  part 
of  the  head,  and  upper  pari  of  the  neck  greyish-brown, 
with  purple  reflections  on  the  hind  neck ;  chin  black ; 
lower  parts  reddish-brown  ;  lower  part  of  the  fore 
neck  and  sides  of  the  body  spotted  with  blackish- 
brown  ;  breast  and  abdomen  barred  with  the  same 
color ;  lower  tail-coverts  blackish-brown  ;  tail  brown, 
margined  with  palev,  the  feathers  pointed,  a  patch 
of  white  on  the  sides  of  the  rump ;  back  brownish- 
black,  glossed  with  green ;  the  feathers  on  the  fore 
part  of  the  back  and  lower  portion  of  the  hind  neck 
margined  with  yellowish- white ;  primaries  brown ; 
inner  webs  of  the  secondaries  same  color;  outer 
vanes  dark  green,  which  form  the  speculum;  second- 
ary coverts  brown,  the  outer  broadly  tipped  with 
white,  the  inner  tipped  with  blue;  tertials  dark- 


APPENDIX.  433 

green,  with  central  markings  of  deep  bnff ;  feet  dull 
yellow. 

Female  without  the  white  patch  on  the  sides  of 
the  head ;  throat  white ;  lower  parts  greyish-brown, 
the  feathers  spotted  with  darker;  upper  parts 
hlackish-hrown,  the  feathers  margined  with  bluish- 
white  and  pale  buff;  smaller  wing-coverts  blue; 
speculum  green;  secondary  coverts  the  same  as 
those  of  the  male ;  length  fourteen  inches,  wing 
seven  inches  and  a  half. 

This  species  greatly  resembles  the  last. 

Spoonbill. 

Shoveller. 

Anas  Clypeata,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  brownish-black,  about 
three  inches  in  length,  near  the  end  it  is  more  than 
twice  as  broad  as  it  is  at  the  base ;  much  rounded 
and  closely  pectinated,  the  size  of  the  upper  mandi- 
ble at  the  base  having  the  appearance  of  a  fine- 
toothed  comb.  Adult  male  with  the  head  and  the 
neck  for  about  half  its  length  glossy  green,  with  purple 
reflections ;  lower  part  of  the  neck  and  upper  part 
of  the  breast  white ;  rest  of  the  lower  plumage  deep 
chestnut-brown,  excepting  the  lower  tail-coverts  and 
a  band  across  the  vent,  which  is  black,  some  of  the 
feathers  partly  green ;  flanks  brownish-yellow  pen- 
cilled with  black  and  blackish-brown  ;  inner  second- 
aries dark  green  with  terminal  spot  of  white ;  outer 


434  APPENDIX. 

secondaries  lighter  green;  primaries  dark  brown, 
their  shafts  white,  with  dusky  tips ;  lesser  wing- 
coverts  light  blue ;  speculum  golden-green ;  rump 
and  upper  tail-coverts  greenish-black,  a  patch  of 
white  at  the  sides  of  the  rump  ;  tail  dark  brown,  the 
feathers  pointed,  broadly  edged  with  white,  of 
which  color  are  the  inner  webs  of  the  three  outer 
feathers. 

Female  with  the  crown  dusky;  upper  plumage 
blackish-brown,  the  feathers  edged  with  reddish- 
brown  ;  breast  yellowish-white,  marked  with  semi- 
circular spots  of  white.  Young  male  with  similar 
markings  on  the  breast ;  length  twenty  inches  and 
a  half,  wing  ten. 

Sea-Duck. 

Genus  Fuligula. 

Generic  Distinctions. — In  this  class  the  head  is 
rather  larger,  neck  rather  shorter  and  thicker,  than 
in  the  preceding  genus  (Anas),  plumage  more  dense, 
feet  stronger,  and  the  hind  toe  with  a  broad  ap- 
pendage, which  is  the  principal  distinction. 

Canvas-Back. 

FvMgula  Valisneria,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  black,  the  length  about 
three  inches,  and  very  high  at  the  base  ;  fore  part  of 
the  head  and  the  throat  dusky;  irides  deep  red; 
breast  brownish-black.    Adult  male  with  the  fore- 


APPENDIX.  435 

head,  loral  space,  throat,  and  upper  part  of  the  head 
dusky;  sides  of  the  head,  neck  all  round  for  nearly 
the  entire  length,  reddish-chestnut f  lower  neck, 
fore  part  of  the  breast  and  back  black ;  rest  of  the 
back  white,  closely  marked  Avith  undulating  lines 
of  black;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  blackish; 
Aving-coverts  grey,  speckled  with  blackish ;  prima- 
ries and  secondaries  light  slate  color  ;  tail  short,  the 
feathers  jjointed ;  lower  part  of  the  breast  and  ab- 
domen white;  flanks  same  color,  finely  pencilled 
with  dusky;  lower  tail-coverts  blackish-brown,  in- 
termixed with  white ;  length  twenty-two  inches, 
wing  nine  and  a  quarter. 

Female,  upper  parts  greyish-brown ;  neck,  sides, 
and  abdomen  the  same ;  upper  part  of  the  breast 
brown ;  belly  white,  pencilled  with  blackish ;  rather 
smaller  than  the  male,  with  the  crown  blackish- 
brown. 

This  is  without  question  the  finest  duck  that  flies, 
as  it  is  the  largest  and  gamest ;  it  is  abundant  late  in 
the  season,  but  waiy. 

Red-Head. 

Fuligula  Ferina,  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  bluish,  towards  the  end 
black,  and  about  two  inches  and  a  quarter  long ; 
irides  yellowish-red.  xVdult  male  with  head,  which 
is  rather  large,  and  the  upper  part  of  the  neck 
all  roimd,  dark  reddish  chestnut,  brightest  on  the 
hind  neck ;  lower  part  of  the  neck,  extending  on  the 


436 


APPENDIX. 


back  and  upper  part  of  the  breast,  black ;  abdomen 
white,  darker  towards  the  vent,  where  it  is  barred 
with  undulating  lines  of  dusky ;  flanks  grey,  closely 
barred  Avith  black ;  scapulars  the  same ;  primaries 
brownish-grey ;  secondaries  lighter ;  back  greyish- 
brown,  barred  with  fine  lines  of  white ;  rump  and 
upper  tail  coverts  blackish-brown  ;  tail  feathers 
gi'eyish-brown,  lighter  at  the  base  ;  lower  tail- coverts 
brownish-black,  rather  lighter  than  the  upper ;  length 
twenty  inches  ;  wing  nine  and  a  half.  Female  about 
two  inches  smaller,  with  the  head,  neck,  breast, 
and  general  color  of  the  upper  parts  brov/n ;  darker 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  head,  lighter  on  the  back ; 
bill,  legs,  and  feet,  similar  to  those  of  the  male. 

This  duck,  as  it  is  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
the  canvas-back,  and  has  mainly  the  same  habits,  is 
but  little  inferior  to  that  incomparable  bird. 

Bboad-Bill. 

Blue  Bifi.  Scaup,  Black  Head,  Eaft  Duck. 

Fuligula  Marila,  Linn. 

Specific  Character. — ^The  head  and  neck  all  round, 
with  the  fore  p^rt  of  the  brenst  and  fore  part  of  back, 
black ;  the  sides  of  the  head  and  the  sides  and  hind 
part  of  the  neck  dark  green,  reflecting  purple ;  length 
of  bill,  when  measured  along  the  gap,  two  inches  and 
five-sixteenths ;  length  of  tarsi  one  inch  and  three- 
eighths  ;  length  from  the  point  of  the  bill  to  the  end 
of  the  tail  nineteen  inches;  wing  eight  inches  and 
five-eighths ;  a  broad  white  band  crossing  the  secon- 


APPENDIX.  437 

Varies  and  continues  on  the  inner  primaries.  Adult 
male  with  the  forehead,  crown,  throat,  and  upper 
part  of  the  fore  neck  bi'ownish-black ;  sides  of  the 
head,  neck,  and  hind  neck,  dark  green  ;  lower  portion 
of  the  neck  all  round,  with  the  upper  part  of  the 
breast,  purplish-black  ;  rest  of  the  lower  parts  white, 
undulated  with  black  towards  the  vent ;  imder  tail- 
coverts  blackish-brown  ;  tail  short,  dark  brown,  mar- 
gined and  tipped  with  lighter  brown ;  upper  tail- 
coverts  and  rump  blackish-brown ;  middle  of  the  back 
undulated  with  black  and  white ;  fore  part  black ; 
wings  brown,  darker  at  the  base  and  tips ;  speculum 
white,  formed  by  the  band  crossing  the  secondaries 
and  inner  primaries ;  scapulars  and  inner  secondaries 
undulated  with  black  and  white ;  secondary  coverts 
blackish-brown,  undulated  with  white.  Female  with 
a  broad  patch  of  white  on  the  forehead ;  head,  neck, 
and  fore  part  of  the  breast  umber  brown ;  upper  parts 
blackish-brown ;  abdomen  and  lower  portions  of 
breast  white  ;  scapulars  faintly  marked  with  white. 

Whistlek. 

Golden  Eye,  Great  Head. 

Fuligula  Olangula,  Linn. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  black,  high  at  the  base, 
where  there  is  quite  a  large  spot  of  white ;  head  orna- 
mented with  a  beautiful  crest,  and  feathers  more 
than  an  inch  long  and  loose ;  insides  yellow ;  the 
entire  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  lich  glossy- 
green,  with  purple  reflections,  more  particularly  so 


438  APPENDIX. 

on  the  throat  and  forehead;  rest  of  the  neck,  -with 
the  entire  plumage,  white ;  sides  of  the  rump  and 
vent  dusky  grey;  tail  greyish-brown;  back  and 
wings  brownish-black — a  large  patch  of  white  on  the 
latter,  formed  by  the  larger  portion  of  the  seconda- 
ries and  the  tips  of  its  coverts  ;  legs  reddish-orange. 
Length  twenty  inches ;  wing  nine  inches.  Female 
head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  dull  brown  ;  wings 
dusky  ;  lower  parts  white,  as  are  six  of  the  seconda- 
ries and  their  coverts ;  the  tips  of  the  latter  dusky. 
About  three  inches  smaller  than  the  male. 

Dipper. 

Butter  Ball,  Buffel-Headed  Duck,  Spirit  Duck. 
FuliguUi  Albeola,  Linn. 

Specific  Character. — Bill  blue,  from  the  corner  of 
the  mouth  to  the  end  about  one  inch  and  a  half,  the 
sides  rounded,  narrowed  towards  the  point ;  head 
thickly  crested,  a  patch  behind  the  eye  and  a  band 
on  the  wings  white.  Adult  male  with  the  plumage 
of  the  head  and  neck  thick,  and  long  forehead ;  loral 
space  and  hind  neck  rich  glossy  green,  changing 
into  purple  on  the  crown  and  sides  of  the  head ;  from 
the  eye  backwards  over  the  head  a  triangular  patch 
of  white ;  the  entire  breast  and  sides  of  the  body 
pure  white ;  abdomen  dusky  white ;  tail  rounded, 
greyish-brown ;  upper  tail-coverts  lighter ;  under 
tail-coverts  soiled  white  ;  back  and  wings  black,  with 
a  patch  of  white  on  the  latter.  Female  upper  plu- 
mage sooty-brown,  with  a  band  of  white  on  the  sides 


APPENDIX.  439 

of  the  head  ;  outer  wehs  of  a  few  of  the  secondaries 
same  color ;  lower  part  of  the  fore  neck  ash-color ; 
breast  and  abdomen  soiled  white ;  tail  feathers 
rather  darker  than  those  of  the  male.  Male  fourteen 
and  a  half  inches  long ;  wing  six  inches  and  three- 
fourths.     Female  rather  smaller. 

The  dipper  is  quite  plentiful  everywhere  in  the 
Northern  States,  but  not  much  valued. 

Old  Wife. 

South  Southerly,  Old  Squaw,  Long-Tailed  Duck. 

FuUgula  Glacialis,  Linn. 

Specific  Character. — Length  of  bill,  from  the  ter- 
mination of  the  frontlet  feathers  to  the  point,  one 
inch  and  one-sixteenth — the  upper  mandible  rounded ; 
the  sides  very  thin ;  the  bill  rather  deeply  serrated, 
and  furnished  with  a  long  nail ;  tail  feathers  acute. 
In  the  male  the  middle  pair  of  tail  feathers  are 
extended  about  four  inches  beyond  the  next  longest, 
which  character  is  wanting  with  the  female.  Adult 
male  with  the  bill  black  at  the  base ;  anterior  to  the 
nostril  reddish-orange,  with  a  dusky  line  margining 
the  nail ;  fore  part  of  the  head  white,  the  same  color 
passing  over  the  head  down  the  hind  neck  on  the 
back ;  eyes  dark  red ;  cheeks  and  loral  space  dusky- 
white,  with  a  few  touches  of  yellowish-brown ;  a 
black  patch  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  terminating  in 
reddish-brown  ;  fore  neck  white ;  breast  brownish- 
black,  terminating  in  an  oval  form  on  the  abdomen 
— ^the  latter  white;  flanks  bluish-white;  primaries 


440  APPENDIX. 

dark  brown ;  secondaries  lighter  brown,  their  coverts 
black ;  a  semicircular  band  of  black  on  the  fore  part 
of  the  back  ;  the  outer  two  tail  feathers  white — the 
rest  marked  with  brown,  excepting  the  four  acu- 
minated feathers,  which  are  blackish-brown,  the 
middle  pair  extending  several  inches  beyond  the 
others.  Female  without  the  long  scapulars  or  elon- 
gated tail  feathers  ;  bill  dnsky-green  ;  head  dark, 
greyish-brown — a  patch  of  greyish-white  on  the 
sides  of  the  nock  ;  crown  blackish  ;  upper  parts  dark 
greyish-brown ;  lower  parts  white.  Length  of  male 
from  the  point  of  the  bill  to  the  end  of  the  elongated 
tail  feathers  twenty-tliree  inches;  wing  eight  inches 
and  five-eighths.  Female  about  six  inches  less  in 
length. 

This  bird  is  abundant  along  the  coast,  but  is 
generally  tough  and  fishy. 

Merganser. 

Genus  Mergtis,  Linn. 

Generic  Distinctions. — Bill  straight,  higher  than 
broad  at  base ;  much  smaller  towards  the  end ;  upper 
mandible  hooked;  teeth  sharp;  head  rather  large, 
compressed  ;  body  rather  long,  depressed  ;  plumage 
very  thick ;  feet  placed  far  behind ;  wings  moderate, 
acute ;  tail  short,  rounded. 


SH£LDBAKE. 


APPENDIX.  443 

Shell-Deake. 

Goosander  Weaser. 

Mergus  Merganser^  Wils. 

Specific  Character. — ^Forehead  low;  head  rounded, 
crested ;  bill  bright  red,  the  ridge  black,  high  at 
base;  upper  mandible  much  hooked.  Adult  male 
with  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck  greenish- 
black  ;  lower  portion  of  the  neck  white ;  under 
plumage  light  buff,  delicately  tinged  with  rose-color, 
which  fades  after  death ;  sides  of  the  rump  greyish- 
white,  marked  with  undulating  lines  of  dusky ;  fore 
part  of  the  back  and  inner  scapulars  glossy  black; 
hind  part  of  the  back  ash-grey ;  the  feathers  margined 
and  tipped  with  greyish-white,  lighter  on  the  rump ; 
upper  tail-coverts  grey,  the  feathei's  marked  with 
central  streaks  of  dusky ;  tail  feathers  darker ;  pri- 
mai'ies  dark  brown ;  wing  coverts  and  secondaries 
white,  the  onter  webs  of  the  latter  edged  with 
black ;  the  basal  part  of  the  greater  coverts  black, 
forming  a  conspicuous  band  on  the  wings;  under 
tail-coverts  white,  outer  webs  marked  with  dusky 
grey,  which  is  the  color  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
web ;  bill  and  feet  bright  red.  Female  with  the  head 
and  upper  part  of  the  neck  reddish-broAvn ;  throat 
and  lower  neck  in  front  white ;  breast  and  abdomen 
deeply  tinged  with  buff;  upper  parts  and  sides  of 
the  body  ash-grey ;  speculum  white.  Length  of 
male,  twenty-seven  inches;  Aving,  ten  and  a  half. 
Female  about  tliree  inches  smaller.  Young  like  the 
female. 


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